... Metropolis Kabarett Terrace Cafe, National Theatre There is something quite bizarre about this all new, late night dinner and cabaret, watched by the supposed cultural elite of London. It is almost as if a high percentage of the audience are being mocked by those on stage, and they either do not realise it or simply do not care. The show itself, directed and devised by award-winning actor ...

... Sacha Distel Isle of Wight The French star arrived at Warner's luxurious Bembridge Coast Hotel to make a rare appearance at a British holiday centre. Amazingly, it is now 30 years since he enjoyed real stardom in this country with Palladium seasons and Royal Variety Shows. Now in his late sixties, Sacha Distel still cuts an elegant figure, but it was a shame that he did not work his ...

... Barry Mason--Remember Delilah Blackpool There are singers of songs, writers of songs and singer/songwriters. Blackpool-raised Barry Mason falls into the second of these categories. Mason penned the words to songs with sales of around 50 million since the early sixties, so who cares if his delivery of them is not quite as polished as that of Tom Jones (Delilah) or Engelbert Humperdinck (The ...

... 51st Annual Blackpool Command Performance Blackpool Packed to capacity, a Horsehoe Bar audience consisting mainly of prominent northern clubland figures gathered for a show which has become a key date in the clubland calendar. Backing musicians Steve Cox and Tony Lea could have been a much more substantial asset to the event had their sound been better balanced. They were not loud enough to ...

... Rising stars raising laughs Hackney Empire New Act of the Year 2000 Walking into the foyer of this famous venue, it is easy to imagine the ghosts of audiences past roaring with laughter at the great comics who have trodden its boards. The fresh-faced comedians on trial at this year's final had battled their way through heats held in an adjacent pub over the past few months. Arthur Smith ...