Janie Dee & Friends, The Globe
Janie Dee and Friends at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, The Globe Theatre was a complete success as part of The London Festival of Cabaret.
The Sam Wanamaker playhouse was packed full, and the show included special guests such as Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Steffan Donnelly, Block 4 (a fantastic recorder group) and the brilliant Juliet Stevenson, as well as some brand new music from writing duo Barlow & Smith (Music Bella Barlow, Lyrics A.C. Smith) who also took to the stage.
It was a magical evening under candelight. Two time Olivier Award Winner Janie Dee won over the audience as soon as she took to the stage, exploring themes of royalty, travel and her experiences at the Globe Theatre. There was a huge selection of songs from well know english classics, to some pop songs, as well as familiar show tunes and two new songs from the writing duo Barlow & Smith, specially commissioned for the project.
The second half of the Cabaret began with Janie Dee entering in full Queen Elizabeth the first regalia, and singing one of Barlow & Smith's new songs 'My Private Delight'. Janie Dee sang this, whilst eating a magnum ice cream and exuding royalty. The song with a sublime performance from Dee brought the house down - and was a tune not to forget, a huge success, from the new Barlow & Smith. Their following song 'My Secret Love' showed another side of the writing duo with extremely poetic langauge, and in the style of an english madrigal with folk like qualities, impressively played by the brilliant recorder quartet block 4.
After a superb audience song that swept us all along into the music, the show closed with Juliet Stevenson singing The Rose, with Janie Dee, and the whole company to end the show.
Janie Dee gave thanks at the end of the show to her guests performers, and said of the writing duo Barlow & Smith "There is no doubt of these girls' future".
The whole evening was woven together beautifully by director Alastair Knights under the musical supervision of George Bartle and Ben Atkinson - both wonderful musicians who displayed huge talent.
Congratulations to all involved!
