Review: Rip It Up, York Barbican, September 21
HARRY Judd, Aston Merrygold and Louis Smith star in Rip It Up, bringing the best of the swinging Sixties to venues across Britain.
After Rip It Up’s Fifties' song-and-dance show last year sold 50,000 tickets and was heralded as the most exciting Strictly Come Dancing spin-off tour ever, the new show aims to bring back the fabulous soundtrack of the decade that brought us flower power, the pill and put a man on the moon.
Presenter Antony Brant, looking the part in a pastel blue dinner jacket, did an admirable job laying the groundwork for Judd, Merrygold and Smith, all natural-born performers throwing themselves into their dance numbers and songs with gusto and clear delight.
However, supporting vocalist Jill Marie Cooper truly stole the night, demonstrating an amazing versatility across multiple genres from soul to rock'n’roll. The show as a whole strives hard to recreate an authentic Sixties' vibe. The dancing, set design and costumes all form an affectionate pastiche very reminiscent of classic Top Of The Pops, and the video interludes between sections from Lulu and Tony Blackburn have an infectious retro charm.
Rip It Up showcases the best of the 1960s' music scene, enthusiastically reminding us all why so many of these bands and artists are still household names, even today.
Robert McKelvey
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