The Cher Show ★★★ New Wimbledon Theatre | Jan 31 - Feb 4, 2023


Can you have too many Chers? This show has three different actresses portraying the superstar at different stages of her career. Millie O'Connell is Babe who at sixteen meets Sonny and becomes a musical hippy phenomenon. Danielle Steers plays Lady who is the Las Vegas incarnation of the redoubtable diva and Debbie Kurup embodies the Star. All three quite amazingly capture the essence of a particular phase of the amazing career that goes from insecure teenager to confidently consummate performer, but this particular format does invite invidious comparisons of the three presentations. Suffice to say, that while carving of the role into three parts works in many ways, it can also be a distraction. Similarly, the decision to present Cher's story in a rather mechanical chronological manner may give us the highs and lows of her career, the peaks and valleys of her relationships and the arc of her growth as a person and performer, however it can also seem rather rushed and a bit squeezed in. What totally works in this show is the renditions of Cher's great hits and their integration into her story. From "I Got You Babe" to "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," the songs and their interpretations bring the show alive. We missed the stunning Bob Mackie outfits, but the costumes of Gabriella Slade made their point. And while it is impossible for anyone to upstage Cher, Lucas Rush as Sonny, Sam Ferriday as Greg Allman et al. and Tori Scott as Georgia each put in first-rate performances. To rephrase our initial question, can you have too much of Cher? The answer is no and this production is proof of that.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Pamela Raith.

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When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: 93 The Broadway, London SW19 1QG, UK

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