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The Secret Society of Leading Ladies is a new online production which provides a new innovative format allowing the viewer to make decisions and control the set list! This show is running at The Barn Theatre (Online) until the 7th March so don’t forget to book your tickets, which can be found on the Barn Theatre’s website! Make sure you book a Multistream ticket, so that you can view all of the performances!
The concept, created by Ryan Carter is something so fresh and interesting and I have been so excited to give it a try myself! Throughout the concert you get to do a “choose your player” type of screen, where you can pick who you see performing!
The first choice of song we had was “I’d Rather Be Me” Sung by Allie Daniel as Janis from Mean Girls, “I didn’t Plan it” sung by Jarnéia Richard-Noel as Becky from Waitress and “Fabulous Baby” sung by Claudia Kariuki as Delores from Sister Act.
Firstly, I would love to talk about Allie’s fantastic rendition of the catchy number from Mean Girls! She strutted into the show with all the sass, and gave a really enjoyable performance, and also got the song stuck in my head.. I’ll be singing it for the next three weeks now!
Next, Jarnéia as Becky, something I didn’t know I needed, but I am so glad I have witnessed. She rocked this song with the smoothest vocals you have ever heard! If you have not heard this Queen sing, you’re in for a real treat, and those of you who have heard her sing, you’ll be just as blown away by the belting machine that she is!
Then, Claudia Kariuki, who I was lucky enough to see in Priscilla Queen of the Desert back in 2019, absolutely brought a sparkle to Delores, and I don’t just mean with her sparkly dress! Claudia is a vocal magician, who puts so much character into her performance and wows me every single time!
The next choice we were given was between “Morning Person” sung by Kelly Sweeney as Princess Fiona from Shrek, “Journey to the Past” sung by Lauren Byrne as Anya from Anastasia, and the classic “Somewhere over the rainbow” sung by Kayla Carter as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.
Let’s start with Kelly, from this section. Kelly is literally the perfect Princess Fiona, she has the same energy and the total correct comedic timing to play the role! Her Acting through song skills are really impressive and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her perform this number. Another lovely touch was the animated bird who flew in to join Kelly at one point during the song!
Next, Lauren Byrne. I already knew the vocal talent that Lauren has, as she has recently played Jane Seymour in the UK Tour of SIX the Musical, however this does not mean she was any less impressive. Lauren never fails to totally astonish me with her vocals, and her rendition of “Journey to the past” was no different! The final notes of the song were held incredibly well, which was another aspect that made Lauren’s performance truly inspiring!
And Kayla Carter, as Dorothy Gale singing the classic song “Somewhere over the rainbow” was utterly beautiful! As we all have heard the song so many times, you may think it could get repetitive, however not with this rendition. Kayla’s voice adds her very own delightful touch to the song, whilst keeping true to the original, which made for a magical performance of a song that is definitely one of my all time favourites!
After choosing one of those we were given the choice of some more songs, “World Burn” sung by Kayleigh McKnight as Regina George from Mean Girls, “The Last Midnight” sung by Aisha Jawando as The Witch from Into the Woods and “When you’re good to mama” sung by Ellie Mitchell as Mama Morton from Chicago!
The vocals served by Kayleigh in “World Burn” were Jaw-dropping! I had not had the honour of hearing this powerhouse sing until seeing this show, and I am utterly blown away! The accuracy in which she hit every note was incredibly impressive and I definitely think she should be playing the role of Regina George if we get a West End transfer of Mean Girls!
Seeing Aisha Jawando singing as one of my favourite Musical Theatre villains brought me so much happiness. Aisha got herself right into character and played a perfect witch! “The Last Midnight” only works if there is enough character in the song, and for Aisha’s rendition there was more than enough! She has such a presence on the stage, and I could not take my eyes away from the screen, it was almost as though she had cast a spell on me!
Ellie Mitchell was everything you want from a Mama Morton and more! It brought me so much joy and happiness watching Ellie perform as she had the biggest smile on her face and was so beautifully bringing across Mama’s character, and for that I applaud her!
The next choice was between “Everybody’s Girl” sung by Jocasta Almgill as Shelby from Steel Pier and “The History of Wrong Guys” sung by Aoife Clesham as Lauren from Kinky Boots.
Jocasta, who I am proud to say took part in one of my recent online concerts, took to the stage with such character the second she made her entrance! As a character that is quite new to me, Jocasta made me fall in love with her, not to mention her vocals! But what did I expect? Jocasta Never disappoints!!
Aoife, playing one of my favourite female musical theatre roles of all time, definitely did the role justice and brought tons of energy to the show! The only step to making her performance any better, would’ve been to have her in the factory, with the set, full costume and props, which, in my opinion needs to happen in the future!
Our final choice was from 3 Musical Theatre Ballads. “Dyin’ ain’t so bad” sung by Emma Kingston as Bonnie from Bonnie and Clyde, “Nothing Stops Another Day” sung by Abbi Hodgson as Molly from Ghost and “Out here on my own” sung by Natalie Kassanga as Coco from Fame!
Emma Singing “Dyin’ ain’t so bad” was such an incredible and inspiring performance. She sings the song with so much emotion and feeling! I love the control she has over every note she sings. Whilst watching Emma act through the song, which she does beautifully, we are brought on her character's journey as she goes through it herself!
Abbi Hodgson is one of the performers that I was really looking forward to listening to and she certainly did not disappoint! Abbi has such a beautiful singing voice and just like all of the other ladies brings so much emotion to the performance! I can’t wait to hear more from Abbi as in my opinion she has such a magnificent voice!
And finally, Natalie Kassanga! I am honestly left speechless by her rendition of “Out here on my own”. Alike many of the other leading ladies in this concert, Natalie brings so much character to the song. Alongside this, she has such a strong voice, and such a huge stage presence!
And Now to give you a “Big Finish!” - Of course, with this amount of leading ladies singing together, it is bound to have an exciting show-stopping number, and wasn’t it just! Hearing these talented people all singing together gave me so much joy, and I can’t wait to see these leading ladies back where they should be, on a stage, with a live audience!
And it is coming, soon!
It’s safe to say this definitely deserves 5 Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review by: Robbie Davies (Robbie’s Backstage Bants)