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Tag: Ashton Merrygold

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | Rip It Up, Garrick Theatre, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Rip It Up, Garrick Theatre, London

    ★★★ | Rip it Up

    The 60s are back in the West End, and add a lot of dancing, throw in a few handsome pop stars, and what you have is an evening of very very light theatre.

    Rip it Up, now playing at the Garrick Theatre, throws into the mix the best songs from the 60’s with beautiful choreography (by Gareth Walker, who is also the Director), and starring four former Strictly Come Dancing Contestants, and heartthrobs.

    Louis Smith MBE (former Olympic gymnast and all around hunk), Aston Merrygold (former member of the X-Factor group JLS), Harry Judd (drummer in the worldwide famous pop group McFly), and last but not least Jan McGuiness (from The Wanted). These men, along with a bevy of young and sexy backup dancers, give it their all with fancy dance moves and upbeat music. But the best part of the show is the amazing singing by Jill Marie Cooper and Ant Brant. Cooper wins the audience over in her renditions of songs from Dionne Warwick to Jefferson Airplane, which lifts this show up a couple notches for without them this would’ve been just another jukebox musical without the jukebox.

    All of the four male leads are fine, but they are not allowed to individually shine that much. Merrygold only gets to sing a couple songs, while we are treated to an all too short gymnastics routine by Smith (though luckily for he spends most of the time in the show either topless or wearing tight clothes). He is also a very graceful dancer. Judd is allowed a one minute drum solo (the audience wanted more), while McGuiness really doesn’t seem to offer much, though he tries his darndest to keep up with the dance moves.

    Emcee Cavin Cornwall does a fine job guiding the audience through the different musical sounds of the 60s, though he wobbles horribly through ‘Heard if Through the Grapevine‘. Videos of Lulu, Tony Blackburn, designer Zandra Rhodes and the indelible Dionne Warwick tell us what is was really like in the 60s – show us don’t tell us! And Lulu actually comes on a few too many times.

    But ultimately Rip it Up will only appeal to fans of the X-Factor and Strictly Come Dancing (of which all four stars have danced in). I can see this show selling out on the UK tour, but for a West End stage, it doesn’t quite feel right.

    Rip it Up plays at The Garrick Theatre until June 2, 2019

  • Which men are starring in Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1?

    Meet the men starring in Strictly Come Dancing 2017 – there’s an ex boybander, a comedian actors and even a man of the cloth…

    Ashton Merrygold

    Ashton Merrygold rose to fame during X Factor as part of the megaband JLS, one of the most successful losing (but winning bands in the history of the show). On joining Strictly he said,  “I’m so happy to be joining Strictly 2017, it is such a brilliant show and I’ve followed it for years. I’m both nervous and excited to learn from the professionals about a whole new way of dancing!”

    Brian Conley

    A household name in the field of industry. He is a comedian, actor and television presenter with a career spanning over 40 years. In 1992, Brian got his big break with the hugely successful The Brian Conley Show which went on to become Britain’s most-watched entertainment show at the time, coining his catchphrase: ‘It’s a puppet!’ Brian’s TV career has seen him win multiple awards including a National Television Award for Most Popular Television Performer. He has also performed/presented at the Royal Variety Performance eight times and recently hosted two series of BBC One’s The TV That Made Me. Brian has an extensive theatre career and has starred in many West End Productions; he’s recorded three albums and has acted in six films. He recently finished a sell-out tour of the UK and will star in his thirty-fifth pantomime this Christmas.

    Davood Ghadami

    Davood is a British actor, best known for his role as Kush Kazemi in EastEnders for which he won Best Newcomer at the TV Choice Awards. He was also nominated for Best Newcomer and Best Actor at the British Soap Awards. Davood has starred in the BBC One show since 2014 and set pulses racing when he joined as Albert Square’s latest ladies’ man. His first TV appearance was in 2005 on The Bill and his other TV work includes Doctor Who, The Omid Djalili Show, Taggart, Silent Witness, Life’s Too Short, Law & Order, Top Boy and Skins Redux. On stage, Davood has played Amir in 13 at the National Theatre, as well as working extensively for York Theatre Royal and Pilot Theatre.

    Joe McFadden

    Joe McFadden is a Scottish actor, born in Glasgow and best-known for playing the role of Raffaello ‘Raf’ di Lucca in BBC One’s medical drama, Holby City. He first came to national attention playing PC Joe Mason in Heartbeat and has also appeared in Take the High Road, The Crow Road and Sex, Chips & Rock ‘n’ Roll. In addition to his television roles, Joe also has a background in theatre appearing in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Rent in London’s West End.

    Jonnie Peacock

    Jonnie Peacock is a double Paralympic, World and European T44 100m Champion. He sensationally won his first Paralympic Gold medal in London 2012 in front of 80,000 people and has gone onto to win every major event that he’s entered, including the 2016 Paralympic Games and the 2017 World Championships in London this summer. Jonnie, a below the knee amputee, contracted meningitis at the age of five, but has bounced back to become one of Britain’s best known and most successful Para Athletes, breaking the World Record in 2012, setting a Personal Best for the 100m of 10.64 seconds this year and being awarded an MBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours for services to athletics. Away from the athletics track Jonnie wants to an inspiration to young people of all abilities and is passionate about building the profile of disability sport both in Britain and around the World.

    Reverend Richard Coles

    Reverend Richard Coles is a writer, broadcaster and Church of England priest and co-hosts BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live. He is the only Vicar in Britain to have had a number one hit single with pop band The Communards in the 1980s, which went on to have three UK top ten hits and the biggest-selling single of 1986, Don’t Leave Me This Way. Richard recently co-hosted BBC One’s The Big Painting Challenge and is a regular contributor to ‘Pause for Thought’ on the Radio 2 Chris Evans Breakfast Show, BBC One’s Have I Got News For You and QI. Richard was an inspiration for the main character in the BBC hit comedy Rev and served as a consultant to the series. He is Vicar of St Mary’s Church in Finedon, Northamptonshire and Chancellor of the University of Northampton.