Review: Lindsay Kemp’s Varieté, YMT

Another good student production at the Riverside Studios which I was keen to see as I’ve never seen any of Lindsay Kemp’s productions live. He gave special permission for this performance, directed by Kinny Gardner who has worked with hi regularly. I think of Kemp as primarily a dancer but this was very much music theatre (YMT is Youth Music Theatre, after all). The music was superbly played, with a specially updated score from Carlos Miranda, and the acting was very good. I couldn’t fault the direction or the performances and it’s well worth seeing. However, it’s taken me a week to review, trying to work out what was missing: whether it is dated, whether Kemp’s productions just don’t work properly without his presence, or maybe this is just not his best work (it never entered his regular repertory).

Advertisement