Theatre review: Jolson & Co: The Musical, The Churchill, Bromley (From News Shopper)

Theatre review: Jolson & Co: The Musical, The Churchill, Bromley

2:33pm Tuesday 17th March 2009 in

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Allan Stewart brings entertainer Al Jolson to life wonderfully in the musical about his life, writes Geoff Billingsley

I used to watch Allan Stewart on TV in the late 1970s and 1980s doing impressions and slightly cheesy game shows and often wondered what had happened to him.

Well, in 1996 he starred as Al Jolson in the original musical about Jolson’s life at London's Victoria Palace. Here he is again as Asa Yoelson, born in 1886 in Lithuania and destined to become the Worlds' Greatest Entertainer.

Jolson himself had a wonderful way with an audience - pity he didn't adopt similar successful methods in his private life. He had rather a high opinion of himself but the crowds loved him. He only had to open his mouth and sing My Mammy or Toot Toot Tootsie and he had everyone hooked for as long as he wanted.

Co-produced by Festival City Theatres and The Churchill, Bromley, this wonderful tribute to Jolson covers his four marriages and his many run ins with producers and musical directors which cost him dearly overall. His relationship with his audience though is the one made in heaven - they loved each other.

In this production, fresh from Edinburgh, the multi-talented Donna Steele plays eight different parts, four of them as Mrs Jolson one, two, three and four and also serves us up a Mae West to die for; terrific stuff.

Christopher Howell nine different roles - the main one being radio presenter Barry Gray who interviews Jolson as he retraces his life.

Every Jolson classic is here; Babyface, California, Here I Come, I'm Sitting on Top of the World, Sonny Boy, the list is endless.

These are anthems of our life and when he bursts into When the Red, Red, Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along, well, I almost blub-blub-blubber myself.

Allan Stewart captures Jolson's animated style perfectly, most notably in The Jazz Singer scenes, the first talkie in 1926. There is also a stiff rigidness about Jolson which Stewart rekindles perfectly.

The audience loved it and a good tour is on the cards for this wonderful minstrel show. As Jolson said, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet.