Brighton Dome Concert Hall – 7th December 2024
4 stars
It was a night of fun, camp, laughter and pure festive joy as the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus took over the Brighton Dome with their Rocky Holly Tinsel Show.Â
The show kicked off with a beautiful rendition of Dear Santa (Bring Me a Man for Christmas), setting the tone for the night. The sold out Brighton Dome was whisked into a whirlwind of festive fun from the first note.Â
Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus brought bags of energy, diving into classics like Ding Dong Merrily on High and belting out Leona Lewis’s One More Sleep with beautiful harmonies and obvious joy.
It wasn’t just about the singing, though. Comedy sketches kept things light and funny, with James Waite and Alan Dorrington-Lock as Brady and Jason, two characters who have stumbled straight out of a Rocky Horror spoof.Â
Their quirky back-and-forth gave the show a playful tone, setting up one of the night’s show-stealers, John McPherson’s take on Sweet Transvestite. Strutting across the stage as Franky Claus, McPherson’s vocals were big, bold and brimming with attitude.Â
The other solo spots brought a range of highlights. Rouge Touati-Evans gave a warm and lively performance of We Need a Little Christmas. Rod Edmunds and Andrew Farr’s duet of Take Me As I Am hit the sweet spot of heartfelt and harmonious. Then there was Jessie Ivy-Booth who delivered a passionate version of The Power of Love.
The group numbers really tied the night together. Their take on Proud Mary was brimming with energy, complete with lively armography that had the audience cheering. Even when the choreography wasn’t flashy, the sheer joy on stage was contagious. The whole chorus performed like they were having the time of their lives and that feeling was impossible to resist.
Each song, joke and dance move radiated warmth and fun, and the audience responded with loud cheers and applause after every number. If you were looking for a dose of festive spirit mixed with fabulous flair, this show delivered in style. Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus truly brought the Christmas magic.
