 |  | Taboo
Theatre Royal, Plymouth
Mon 26th April - Sat 1st May 2004
Times: Mon-Thur 7.30pm; Fi & Sat: 5pm & 8.30pm
Tickets: £5 - £24
Box Office: 01752 267222
Hits and Highs, Lows and Blows....
Based on the characters that surrounded Boy George and dominated the London "Blitz" New Romantic scene, Taboo explores the fleshy folds of that time when boys wanted to be girls but something got in the way! Unlike todays manufactured boy bands, Boy George was a real, larger than life character.... could any A&R man have dreamt up anything so bizarre?  This touring show has a very strong vocal cast - and Julian Clary (looking rather scary) as the outrageous Australian performance artist Leigh Bowery.
Although he has the frocks, Julian makes very little attempt to be Bowery, hes Just Julian. He cant sing and he cant dance, but I've been a fan since way back... so thats OK with me!
At his best performing "Ich Bin Kunst" (I Am Art), he looked like he shouldnt bend down if Orville the Duck was within 100 miles, but he certainly made us laugh with his deadpan delivery of some outrageous lines. Stealing the Limelight
Boy George and Bowery may have been the 'Decadent Darlings' of the scene but Drew Jaymson as Philip Sallon was darling of the show.
Like a cross between a dame and lead boy, he roused the house by delivering dubious gay and lesbian jokes straight to the audience like a panto queen in a very bad wig.
He was also tragic and moving singing his big number after being kicked and beaten. The best moments of the show really are the quieter ones rather than the big ensemble pieces.
 I preferred the gentle perfection of the acoustic "Pie in the Sky" with the vocal harmonies of Billy and George. Earlier in the show I had been almost deafened by the overloud backing singing of the chorus. "Out of Fashion" was the other number that impressed me. You wont exactly be humming these songs as you leave the theatre - they are not that memorable - but they are good at the time.
I was also amazed to read that very experienced Les Childs was the shows choreographer as I found it so poor. Many of the routines are played out on a tiny part of the large stage area making some scenes look very congested, perhaps to symbolise the closeness of these fashion icons, but to me just seeming to cramp the cast.
Good use is made, however, of the very front of the stage and the platform extending out to the front rows......and inevitably some of those sitting at the front were drawn into the performance. Taboo has faults but I would recommend it as a good fun show, even if just to see James Gillan as Marilyn.
He looked every inch the bottle blonde goddess and I laughed when he started shaving at the Clinique counter. He looked too good to be true, in everything from Monroe drag to dreadlocks and drug hazed oblivion! What it lacks in finesse this show makes up for in sheer entertainment value and is worth the ticket price if just to marvel at the Leigh Bowery costumes and make up alone.
Taboo
Theatre Royal, Plymouth
Mon 26th April - Sat 1st May 2004
Times: Mon-Thur 7.30pm; Fi & Sat: 5pm & 8.30pm
Tickets: £5 - £24
Box Office: 01752 267222
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It was a brilliant show and the cast were very good, but sadly I didnt really enjoy all of
the songs 
