London Festival of Cabaret 2014: Simon Green at the Crazy Coqs

Imagine being given the opportunity to write a letter to yourself in the past. What would you say? Would you warn your younger self of all the mistakes you’ll make?

Simon Green, West End veteran (Boy Friend; Follies; Beauty and the Beast) alongside cabaret partner pianist, composer and arranger David Shrubsole, premiers his latest cabaret show So, This Then Is Life at the Crazy Coqs with his uniquely British gaze over life’s rude awakenings.

Combining word and lyric, poetry, rhyme, monologue and song, and drawing upon quotes by writers and artists including Tennessee Williams, Walt Whitman and Philip Larkin, Green regresses back to the thoughts and emotions of his 21-year-old self, while keeping a firm foot in the present, reflecting on all the things that he has and hasn’t done in life. His poetic arrangement of songs revive memories of times past that all can relate to – from the raging hormones of a teenage boy to exploring sexuality for the first time, “coming out of the closet”, a mother’s struggle with detachment as her little girl matures into a woman, and the proud words of a loving father.

Extra laughing factor was given by “dear me…” letters written by the previous night’s audience and hilarious quotes such as Shelley Winters’ on youthful bodily charms: “I think onstage nudity is disgusting, shameful and damaging to all things America. But if I were 22 with a great body, it would be artistic, tasteful, patriotic and a progressive religious experience.”

Considering the mature subject matter, the show is likely to attract an older audience, though youngsters can appreciate and learn from important issues caught between laughter and whole-heartedly felt reflections on past experiences. The message is strong and uplifting: love yourself, even if you might not know exactly who that self is yet.

Nastassja Smart

So, This Then Is Life is at the Crazy Coqs until 10^th May 2014, for further information or to book visit here.

London Festival of Cabaret 2014 is on until 22^nd May 2014, for further information or to book visit here.