Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs

Hello all!

I was asked to write a short review of the last theatre production I saw so I decided to post it here. Enjoy!

In October of 2016, I saw Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs at the London Palladium. Cumming is an actor that most will recognise, though many less will be able to name him. His work ranges from children's comedy to slick drama to controversial musical, so it should come as no surprise that his self-penned (along with pianist Lance Horne) cabaret is equally as varied. He bounces easily from light and entertaining to soulful and moving in the blink of an eye. With his arms raised high, Cumming pulls us into his world with a cheeky smile and a rhythmic pop of his hip.

The set up is simple; the stage is bare save for a piano, drumkit, microphone and single chair for the cellist. Everything we experience is fabricated by the group on stage, without the aid of glitzy backdrops and snazzy soundtrack. Though Cumming describes himself as 'an actor who sings', there can be no denying the hours of work that has gone into honing his voice. He has a strong tenor voice, and each song has obviously been rehearsed countless times. Refreshingly, he sings in his native accent and perfectly enunciates every word, ensuring you don't miss a single syllable. Even Complainte de la Butte, which he performed in the original French, is so well executed you felt that you understood every word, regardless of whether you spoke the language.

There was a real sincerity to his stories and Cumming possesses that rare gift of being able to perform to an innumerable audience and make each individual person feel a unique connection to both him and his tales. It feels as though you are simply having a gossip (and, my, is there gossip!) over a glass of wine, not sitting in a crowd of hundreds. Whether he is weeping for his strained relationship with his father or reliving an hilarious jazzy number about condoms, you follow unquestioningly into his world and are all the better off for it.

Regardless of his ever-growing prowess as a singer, the real power behind each tune is the acting. Cumming received some very salient advice from long-time friend Lizard Minelli - revealed through a very amusing anecdote halfway through the show - that the way to perform when you are first and foremost an actor, is to act the story within the song, giving it a beginning, middle and end. Cumming clearly took this to heart as the songs become condensed plays between his truthful and intimate tales.

Both inspired and inspiring, Sappy Songs is as moving as it is funny; a perfect blend of comedy and tragedy, reaffirming that same duality that we see in life. A wonderfully entertaining evening with a very charismatic actor that gives you lots to think about without weighing too heavy on the mind. An honest, touching and delightfully dirty piece of theatre.

Xx