Review: AN EVENING WITHOUT KATE BUSH at the Soho Theatre

Stuart King 8 February, 2022, 22:40

One of London’s more unusual and quirky pieces of performance theatre is currently lifting the spirits of audiences at the Soho Theatre. An Evening Without Kate Bush is unashamedly part musical tribute, but more than that, it’s a young woman’s journey reliving her obsession with the pop diva’s music, the unmistakable voice, her maverick dance style and the whole mythology which grew up around her very individual approach to the music business.

An Evening Without Kate Bush at Soho Theatre Sarah Louise Young in An Evening Without Kate Bush. Photo Photo by Clive Holland

Thankfully, whilst Sarah-Louise Young is clearly a mega devotee of her subject, she stays true to her comedic roots and never loses sight of the target, which is to entertain those in the room with her. As a result, her exploration of one of Britain’s most iconic and instantly recognisable pop performers (which was co-devised with theatremaker Russell Lucas), is crammed full of gags and engaging physical humour ensuring that she maintains a constant lively rapport with her appreciative audience.

Whilst the small venue’s sound system and lighting rig may not bear comparison with larger scale West End venues and their multi-million pound productions, Ms Young’s emulation of Bush’s vocal delivery and tone was on point throughout, particularly her moving rendition of The Man With The Child In His Eyes (astoundingly penned when Bush was just 13) and the upbeat Army Dreamers.