Review: Chicago at Sheffield Lyceum

Celebrity criminals were quite something in 1920s' Chicago. Femme fatales made the headlines more than most.
John Patridge and Hayley Tamaddon in Chicago, running at Sheffield Lyceum from June 6 to 11, 2016.John Patridge and Hayley Tamaddon in Chicago, running at Sheffield Lyceum from June 6 to 11, 2016.
John Patridge and Hayley Tamaddon in Chicago, running at Sheffield Lyceum from June 6 to 11, 2016.

The latest hit musical to show at Sheffield’s Lyceum tells a tale based on true characters who made the Chicago Tribune headlines back in the day.

The story is as provocative as the costumes and is a satirical take on those dark times.

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Chicago, once a play, transformed into a Broadway musical which opened in 1975. The book and choreography by Bob Fosse was a big hit and the musical was the longest running on Broadway.

This all-time favourite is touring the UK, fishnets and all, with an all-star cast. Hayley Tamaddon plays Roxy, who shot her lover and has to manipulate whoever she can to get her freedom back, and make her famous.

John Partridge makes his flamboyantly feathery entrance as Billy Flynn, a hot-shot lawyer who not only knows how to make a mockery out of the criminal justice system but can also hold a very long note. His performance was outstanding.

The sensual, salacious Sophie Carmen-Jones, who plays Velma, opened the show with an outstanding performance of All that Jazz.

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I can’t close without mentioning the orchestra who adopted jazz hands and hip-thrusts to keep the audience entertained even after the cast had made their exit.

Chicago is at Sheffield Lyceum until Saturday, June 11.

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