Kate’s Score: 5 Freddy Mercurys
There is no darkening of lights. A man wanders, hesitantly, on stage. He is followed by others at different paces. They are all wearing black clobber and hats although that is where the similarly of garb ends. They present a shambolic, slightly scruffy appearance and all have a slightly confused, disconsolate air. They look a motley group of hipsters and grandads and wannabe rock stars and builder- labourers. The last on looks very uncertain. He is the spookmeister, Stephen Taberner, clutching a piece of paper and wearing a fur lined deerstalker. He gathers the disparate group before him and … angels sing.
Make no mistake – this is a very, very clever absurdist conceit. “They sing songs – some of them are funny” is the deceptive byline. Observations on ridiculous moments of life, male anthems, poignant heartbreaking ballads and covers of songs leave you “expecting the unexpected” – a conundrum also explored by the chorale. The audience really have no idea what will happen next – except there will be stunning harmonies delivered in a self-effacing, apologetic manner. The implied satire on all sorts of male groups, be they boy bands to operatic tenors and religious tour groups, is delicately delivered. And received with wry appreciation.
Interval was preceded by a version of Bohemian Rhapsody perfectly delivered – in bluegrass style with a dash of heavy metal . Crying with laughter, I could but wonder how they would top that to end the show. But the end saw Taberner conducting an audience on their feet, dancing cheek to cheek (or swaying with someone you “liked but it would be really really weird to say loved”) and singing along. A feel-good event started by the Spooky Men, each of whom had come off the stage, found a dancing partner and slow danced whilst singing. I don’t think the theatre at the Seymour centre ever felt such love in the air.
Artists who take risks and challenge the accepted forms, who look for new ways to explore what is means to be human are to be lauded. The Spooky men’s Chorale offers not only anarchic approaches to music but a reflection on what it may mean to be a man. Ordinary blokes with extraordinary voices and a style which defies genre. If you see one “boy-band” this year, it has to be The Spooky Men’s Chorale.
Photo credit: Samantha Lazzaro
Kate Stratford – On Sounds
