Barbershopera: El Matador – A Christmas Close Shave (Plymouth)

A capella Christmas comedy arrives at The Drum, Plymouth for a couple of weeks with El Matador – A Christmas Close Shave.

The award-laden Barbershopera is as energetic and madcap as ever with a high bar set by its previous visits.

Created by Rob Castell, Tom Sadler and director Sarah Tipple, this is the story of Esteve, who reluctantly leaves the excitement of the Spanish bullring to save his estranged father’s hair salon in dank Norfolk.

Castell turns in a sultry, pouting performance as the simple matador who hopes to win the heart of town crier Vicky and defeat the evil Trevor Sherbert while Lara Stubbs, Will Kenning and Pete Sorel-Cameron play everyone else with the switch of a hat or wig.

Needing no more than four boxes and a static backdrop on stage to transport the appreciative audience from the reindeer farm milking parlour to the cliffs of Shavingham to the home of toxic hair mousse, this is all about the voices and timing.

With superb harmonies as ever, the quartet is charismatic and oh so talented … but … in my books this falls a bit flat compared with earlier pieces seen here.

But still great fun and ideal for the festive season.

– Karen Bussell