Pleasance Courtyard
5-31 August (ex. 11,18,25) 14.30

Two thirty is a ridiculous time for a cabaret, a fact Peter Straker himself admits, through one of his many on-stage alter egos. However, he gives the show his all, and really belts out his huge repertoire of show tunes (the showiness increases dramatically as the performance goes on).

He is a charismatic man, with a huge wealth of stage experience and chooses songs from a wide range of musicals. Sadly, not being much of a cabaret connoisseur I was only able to hum along to a couple of the selection, and wish there had been a few better-known numbers. Straker shares the stage with his piano man and young lady helper, who are invaluable to the way the show fits together, and the repartee between them, though a little corny and scripted, does work with the material. The act can feel a little hackneyed at times but one feels, for cabaret, that’s almost a prerequisite.