Review: ‘An Evening Without Kate Bush’ at Downstairs at the Maj
7.5/10
“Yes, this show is interactive!"
Part homage and part parody, An Evening Without Kate Bush delivered two explosive performances in reverence to the titular artist.
Performed entirely by pint-sized powerhouse Sarah-Louise Young, this cultish cabaret nicely straddled the line between comedy spectacle and moving tribute, without quite settling on either.
An acclaimed veteran of Edinburgh Fringe with an assortment of original shows, Young is the perfect Bush impersonator due to an obvious love of the source material. Even as she made us LOL, we were also learning: whether it was all those perfectly ridiculous dance moves, how old the author was when certain songs were written, or relaying stories about Bush's mime teacher Lindsay Kemp (David Bowie was also a student).
Sarah-Louise Young | Photo credit Claudio Raschella
After all, Kate Bush is ripe for parody and tributes: a genius recluse and eccentric who never tours and whose fans have been left wanting for decades, other than a one-off residency of 22 dates in 2014.
Young is clearly a talented student of musical theatre. Her voice stole the show, while the excellent props and costumes made for an inspired support act. As such, the best moments such as opener And Dream of Sheep and later The Man With the Child in His Eyes (written when Bush was just 13), showcased her pipes and unique approximation of those signature Bush-isms.
The funnies were also sharp. Like a good comedian, Young frequently revisited jokes from earlier in the show to great effect, such as the couple who used Don't Give Up as their bridal waltz; or enacting the cleaning lady at those 2014 return dates who got to listen to the sound check every night, all while singing This Woman's Work. Clever.
Sarah-Louise Young | Photo credit Shay Rowan
Tying it all together was Young's totally extra personality. She promised an interactive show and that's exactly what we got, whether it was audience Q&As or spirited Stevie Nicks vs Kate Bush debate.
If there was a slight, it was attempting to jam too much into just 70 minutes. In doing so the performance never quite found the emotional core that more focus on Young's voice and Bush's lyrics could have provided.
But that shouldn't take away from how endlessly entertaining this performance was, nor what a singular and unique talent Young is. Usually we have to wait until Fringe World for this kind of world class cabaret tribute, but for fans of the Bush, this was nothing short of Christmas in July.
HARVEY RAE
Photos by Shay Rowan and Claudio Raschella
