All the Fun of the Fair

Synopsis

Set against the backdrop of a travelling funfair and packed with dazzling stunt sequences, hilarious crafty cons and plenty of rock ‘n’ roll, All the Fun of the Fair is an action-packed musical from legendary singer and songwriter David Essex and the creator of Boogie Nights, Jon Conway. Widower and funfair owner Levi Lee (David Essex) is struggling to fend off the unwelcome attentions of an alluring and attractive divorcee whilst trying to keep up with the ins and outs of his son’s tangled love life and lofty ambitions. And what is he to make of the dangerous predictions of the fair’s mysterious gypsy fortune teller, warning him about what the future has in store? Inspired by David’s debut album, this roller-coaster ride is underscored by a helter-skelter of hits such as Winter’s Tale, Hold Me Close, Gonna Make You A Star, Me and My Girl Nightclubbing, Silver Dream Machine and Rock On. So roll on up and get your tickets now for this beautiful, modern musical love-story with a heartbreaking twist.

Our Review:

28 October 2008

“We need to make some changes,” shouts angry teenager Jack (Paul-Ryan Carberry) at his fairground owner father Levi (David Essex) during the first act. It’s a phrase that someone should have blurted out during the writing and rehearsal process of this limp and leaden back-catalogue musical, that celebrates the hits of Essex, all wrapped up in a silly story of fairground travellers.

A game cast work hard, but with material this thin, they face an impossible task of Herculean proportions.

England, 1978. Levi’s been running his fairground for years, mourning the death of his wife, and keeping an eye on his troubled teenage son, Jack. Fortune teller Rosa (Louise English) predicts stormy times ahead, as the merry band of carnival folk try to keep their fairground going in a changing Britain. Jack’s romance with Rosa’s daughter Mary (Emma Thornett) is also threatened by the arrival of flighty Alice (understudy Lara Denning) and her violent, aggressive father Harvey ([Da...

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Latest User Review

Ron Elkington - 1 February 2009:

Dire Wish I had stayed at home...

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