... Crown Jools, sparkling night Preston Jools Holland There was a time when I thought the Jools Holland band only existed in the TV studio. That misconception has now been dispelled by the band's recent tour which brought it to the cavernous Preston Guild Hall for a concert of its explosive brand of R & B. It was a boogie-woogie num ber featunng the frock-coated leader on acoustic piano with just ...

... Underrated and over here Shanklin, Isle of Wight An Evening with Bobby Crush Piano star Bobby Crush chose the Shanklin Theatre to debut his new one man show. He played for two hours and the audience still wanted more. Bobby took it all in his stride, aided by a trio of superb musicians David Carter on keyboards, Miles Seabrook on bass and drummer Cliff Longhurst. Right from the outset, with a ...

... Variety Spectacular Cardiff For the 11th successive year Chris Chambers' annual charity spectacular at the Rumney and St Mellons British Legion Club drew a capacity audience, who loved every minute of a fast moving show that contained something to please all tastes. Highspot of ented guitarist Roger Andrews' act was a selection of Shadows favourites, before music of an entirely different ...

... Music Hall, Variety and Me Jermyn Street Theatre It is right that we should be reminded from time to time that music hall and its successor variety was once a thriving industry, and Jack Seaton begins his one man show with a short history of how it came about, beginning with trie spit and sawdust halls attached to pubs in the middle of the last century and their slightly upmarket relatives, ...

... More of a nightmare ENO A Midsummer Night's Dream I know a bank, sings Oberon in Act I of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Well, not in Robert Carsen's production qt the London Coliseum, where it's a vast double bed of greensward blanket. By Act II it's become a dormitory of some eight smaller beds, three of which open Act III suspended in air, a nod in the direction of Peter Brook's Dream. ...

... Buddy good but less noise Green Room, Cafe Royal Buddy Greco There are two things difficult to resist about Buddy Greco, his endless enthusiasm for 'the business' and his sense of humour. Now in his late sixties, it's hardly surprising his voice doesn't quite live up to those swingin' recordings of the past. But his relaxed and confident cabaret style makes him a perfect performer for the ...

... Northern Jazz Orchestra Preston Formed eight years ago by drummer Paul Rigby. the 16 piece Northern Jazz Orchestra has built up a reputation which now extends well beyond its home- ground in the north west. Proof of this was the presence of top guest vocalist Jeff Hooper, who had made the trip from south Wales to work with the band. The repertoire of this dynamic young band strikes a nice ...

... Being different is the answer Leytonstone Jukes Entertainments and Beamish & Bass Taverns With a prize of £500 for the winner of this talent competition held above the Heathcote Arms, it wasn't surprising to find some determined talent performing. Ten acts had got through the preliminary contests. Organised by the Jukes Entertainment Agency and run with good humour and profes sionalism by ...

... The Yeomen of the Guard ROH Within the G&S operetta format, The Yeomen of the Guard is probably the closest Sullivan gets to grandish opera. The love interest predominates over the jokey, the jester Jack Point being more lachrymose Pagliaccio. Indeed Point's fate is one of the more unpleasant aspects of a piece in which the treatment of lesser mortals, unless they are bastions of tradition ...

... A fresh dose of Friedman Whitehall Maria Friedman--By Extra Special Arrangement Fresh from her triumph at the Oliviers, where she won the award for Best Entertainment. Maria Friedman brings her cabaret style show to the Whitehall. And while the atmosphere is markedly different to the intimacy of the show's previous home, the Donmar Warehouse. mere seems no sign ner popular ity is beginning to ...

... Jim Davidson Great Yarmouth Jim Davidson's gala opening night at his own Wellington Pier Theatre went down a storm, with a star studded variety line-up reducing the sellout crowd to tears of laughter. An eclectic bill for the gala featured Dave Lee and Mike Osman, Roy Wood, Brother Lees. Jess Conrad and Dianne Lee, dovetailed delightfully. TUC CTA/IC MAV OK 1OQR The audience started off on ...

... The Good Old Days Leeds A real cracker of a show closed the spring season of music hall at the City Varieties, with top of the bill Jimmy Cricket clowning around and scoring heavily with his stories of the Emerald Isle. He closed the first half to great applause. And there's more. He was back later so he was, in tail coat, Leprechaun hat and L and R wellies to tell more tales, aided by a ...