Merrill Grant: A Twentieth Century Fox

Pleasance at Ghillie Dhu
4 - 30 August, 14.45

Shirley Temple is an acquired taste, which is one of the problems with this show. A little Shirley goes a long way. Temple was a huge child star, actually a very small child star, in the 1930’s. In a series of successful films for Twentieth Century Fox, she sang, in her own quirky way, a collection of popular songs.

The child star takes up an awful lot of the stage, which leaves not much room for more interesting Hollywood songstresses like Alice Faye and Dorothy Dell, who were better singers. Temple had an amazing but short-lived career and was a worldwide phenomenon but her life is not that interesting in the way that say, Judy Garland’s is. She had the ups but not the downs that make a more compelling story.

There are some great songs in what is a pleasant enough afternoon entertainment and Merrill Grant sings them very well. She is attractive, has an easy, likeable stage presence and is a very good vocalist but she needs a better structured vehicle to showcase her undoubted talents. I have a feeling that Grant has what it takes to be a major force in the cabaret world, which is why some of the content of this particular show disappoints.

- by Keith Paterson