3

	Gilded Balloon Teviot (venue website) Cabaret 31 Jul, 1-13, 15-26 Aug, 9:00pm-10:00pm Reviewed by Mathilda Gregory
Recommended for age 18+ only. Venue may not permit under-18's - check with venue before booking.

I’ve really enjoyed work by Sugar and Vice I the past, and I loved the premise of this show – lovelorn songs about the ones that got away. But regrettably, this collection of sad stories didn’t quite it the sweet spot.

Brydie and Courtney, the show’s talented cabaret singing duo, are very different.  Brydie plays the field, while amazingly-coiffured keyboard player Courtney is waiting for “the one”; for true love and marriage. This contrast seems like it should work well, but it actually unbalanced the show – making it about two different things. Brydie’s tales are all sexual mishap (she’s out for sex, so when it doesn’t happen that’s for a reason), while Courtney is just talking about dates.

Each story has a song attached. The musicality was really lovely, and both singers were a pleasure to listen to. But the content of the songs felt a little thin, and each one stayed around just a bit too long. In contrast, another section of the show featured a fairytale broken into episodes – and that was stunningly beautiful. In these sections I felt I was glimpsing a different, much more captivating performance; I wanted to stay in that magical land.

But although this show was flawed, that’s not to say it wasn’t a diverting hour. At the end the duo speak briefly about the reactions they’ve had to the piece. It’s fascinating to learn that sex-loving Brydie was criticised less, and regarded with less skepticism, that virginal Courtney. This show should be commended for the cast’s personal bravery in exposing their vulnerable private lives; but it could have used just a little more of this smart insight.