Dressing Them Up Review

Theatrical Fun at Midlands Fringe

Belting out a cabaret act in a decidedly full and sweltering Wolverhampton cafe takes real professionalism. And Paul Cleveland's 'Dressing Them Up’ mirrored just that: how his alter ego, Rodney, had risen triumphantly to the professional challenges of 45 years of 'dressing' the West End stage.

For 50 frenetic minutes 'Rodney' absorbed us with  his encounters with Ian McKellen, Diana Rigg and Paul O'Grady, followed by the tricks of the trade and the Dresser's misunderstood but vital role in keeping the show going. 

The performance was a souped-up version (with much audience interaction, costume-changing and a nifty line in spontaneous asides) of a talk given to clubs and groups. The KTeas Cakes audience temporarily became the Guildford Women's Institute and watched gleefully as Paul dealt deftly with interruptions from the cheerful tea-and-cake distributing staff. 

This show seemed to pack a theatrical lifetime into just a few minutes. Your reviewer felt that there was probably a lot Rodney could still share with us. Perhaps he'll come back for another visit.

Dr Jefny Ashcroft