Theatre / Reviews
Review: Shell Suit Cher: Believe in Bingo, Tobacco Factory Theatres – ‘A camp and delirious evening’
Shell Suit Cher: Believe in Bingo is the latest in character comedian Tracey Collins’ comedic output, having previously played Elvis Lesley – which the ladies next to me in the audience had attended and loved – Audrey Heartburn, and one half of Charles and Diana: The Reunion Tour. This time around, it’s music and entertainment legend Cher on the table.
Entering the stage clad in a full shell suit, Collins completes the look with a voluminous and wavy black wig and heavy, glittery eye make-up. The majority female audience is thrilled to see her, with some having come in shell jackets themselves – one (male) audience member even had one with removable sleeves.
She’s a pro from the start, with effortless stage presence and charisma, welcoming us to an evening where we celebrate ‘pop, rock and polyester.’ Her Cher voice is very much of the hammy drag queen variety, but no less fun for it, and she comes equipped with sharp and witty one-liners that are peppered throughout; “the electrifying static in this nylon is the only thing keeping my heart going” being one of my favourites.
is needed now More than ever
The actual staging is minimal; a rack of glittery shell jackets, a table with a bingo machine on, and a table covered in a sparkly cape that is revealed to have various prizes on it.
Perhaps naively, I didn’t realise until I was handed a bingo sheet and pen on my way into the theatre how much actually playing bingo was core to the show; the show is billed as a journey into an alternate universe as Cher gives up showbiz to pursue bingo, and I had envisioned more of a narrative piece.
Instead, we are very quickly into actual bingo, soundtracked by a mixture of 80s classics and the diva’s own hits, lyrically altered to fit in her current life and adventures. Any real lifestyle changes brought by the career shift – or impetus for this move – are ignored, and it would’ve been fun to have a little more examination of this, even if running the bingo is the focus of the show.
While I was surprised, nobody else apparently was; everyone was fully on board, and Collins is a natural at building audience rapport and atmosphere, reflecting her experience in comedy and cabaret (“I play bingo like I make love – fast and until the balls run out”.) I’d love to see her do a collaborative show with fellow comedian Sooz Kempner, whose act mixes standup with impressions and songs as various famous divas.
There’s a brief segment where the omnipresent music dies, which Collins handles with grace and skill, chatting away merrily to the audience without belying the stress of the moment. Winners to each bingo round are announced periodically, choosing between a selection of prizes (a fluffy green toilet seat cover, owl teapot, and Hawaiian shirt and pink netted cap among them). There’s a brief mutiny when a round winner turns out to have taken a completed card from her friend, a previous winner, which Collins manages graciously and humorously, knowingly attributing it to the quality of the haul on offer.
The mood towards the end turns distinctly merry, with the audience happily dancing on cue and even more enthusiastically celebrating the various round winners as they complete their parade up and down the front of the stage – given temporary ownership of the sparkly winners’ cape.
We end with a cover of If I Could Turn Back Time, as Collins unveils an imitation of the famous Bob Mackie outfit, accessorised by another spectacular jacket. She invites the audience to join her in an onstage conga line, and many jump up without needing encouragement, flooding the stage with people. Overall, it’s a camp and delirious evening, even if there was a lot more bingo and less Cher-ing than I expected.
Follow upcoming events from Tracey Collins @traceycollinsss.
All photos: Andy Clift Photography
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