Showing this week at The Vaudeville Theatre, The Simon and Garfunkel Story, is a musical tribute to the iconic multi-platinum 60s duo.
The show opens stripped back with the stunning vocals of Art Garfunkel Charles Blyth, singing ‘The Sound of silence’, as the live band kick in with the beats, so do the lights and Sam O’Hanlon as Paul Simon, joins with his guitar.
With a very simple set, and live band- this show is all about the music. Blyth and O’Hanlon enthusiastically introduce each number, telling ‘The Simon and Garfunkel Story’. Not only do we hear all of the well known hits along the way, like ‘The Boxer’, ‘Homeward Bound’, ‘Mrs Robinson’ to name a few, but we also learn little snippets from their personal life, how the duo grew up together in Queens, and found their shared passion of music through acting in a school play together.
From folk music, to rock and roll, to world music- we are treated to a selection of the best of Simon and Garfunkel with video projections of historical events in the 60s, such as troops in Vietnam, hippies at Woodstock and Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream speech’- which added historical context to the pair’s inspiration. The videos however, did distract at times- especially as O’Hanlon’s guitar playing was so intricate and skill full – we can’t help but wish he was given the space to shine and for us to appreciate the moment without the distraction of the video.
Audience participation was encouraged, as we clapped the beat for ‘Cecilia’ and everyones toes were tapping throughout the evening. If you’re a fan of Simon and Garfunkel’s music, you definitely want to make it to The Vaudeville this week to be a part of The Simon and Garfunkel Story, for a real feel good celebration of world renowned musicians.
Victoria Margaret
Victoria Margaret is a northern girl lost in London. She is a huge fan of dogs, cups of tea, cake and gravy – not necessarily all at same time. A lover of all things theatre and film; she’s having a ball reviewing for Upper Circle Theatre.
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