Theatre News

Costello Show Natasha Spends One Night at Lowry

Singer songwriter Lou Dalgleish plays Elsie Costello in the Edinburgh festival hit show They Call Her Natasha. This drama which features music from and inspired by, Elvis Costello is at The Lowry on 14 July.

Dalgleish’s character is spawned from the line “They call her Natasha but she looks like Elsie”, taken from Costello’s classic hit “I Don’t Want To Go To Chelsea”. Having set up Murdered with Kindness theatre company, They Call Her Natasha is written by Dalgleish and Michael Weston King and tells the story of Elsie Costello. As dialogue intertwines with the songs of Elvis Costello, Elsie’s story strangely mirrors that of her male counterpart.

The show celebrates Costello’s work, ranging from his 1976 debut album, “My Aim Is True”, right through to “All This Useless Beauty of 1996.” They Call Her Natasha presents his songs with flair and imagination, and whilst always remaining true to the spirit of the original versions, interpretations of such classics as “Accidents Will Happen”, “Shipbuilding”, “Alison” and “I Want You”, have the Costello hallmarks.

This is a musical play about a female whose life mirrors (increasingly deliberately) that of her idol, Elvis (Costello). And one wonders whether Elsie Costello is a childlike fan or someone with an obsession, or whether she really exits at all, other than as a device to tell the tale of something akin to Mr McManus’ life in words and music.