The incomparable Velma Celli has become somewhat of a fixture at York Theatre Royal. Hailing from the city originally, Velma is the brain-child of West End musical actor Ian Stroughair, created on a drunken night out in London in which Stroughair said yes to a gig, then had to figure out how and who exactly he was going to be performing as. Part Velma Kelly, talented and charming vaudeville actress in the long-running musical Chicago, part Vermacelli Noodles, a drag star was born.
This production focuses on songs from musicals, from well-known and loved shows such as The Sound of Music and Cabaret, to less famous ones including Taboo and Soho Cinders. Each song is attacked with Velma Celli’s usual brand of verve and charisma along with an acerbic wit and throw away comments that have the audience of mostly women giggling and cackling away delightedly.
And the voice. What a voice. Tackling songs like Feeling Good, Defying Gravity, Memory and Maybe This Time with ease, there is never a point where Stroughair’s ability to hit the notes is in doubt. It makes for entirely comfortable viewing and listening as we know he has carefully chosen songs that he has mastered and that showcase his truly beautiful voice.
Another thing that makes Velma Celli so watchable is her interaction with the audience. A clever balance of warm and dismissive, (“What’s your name? Shut up, nobody cares”) and the ability to read the room (in both an artistic and a Paris is Burning sense) means that Velma simultaneously draws the audience in and keeps them at arm’s length, showing us that she is in part like the rest of us, but also very much a star. Particular interactive highlights were meowing like cats to Memory and the audience providing backing vocals of ‘Never, Trevor’ for Never Enough from The Greatest Showman.
Although this was an excellent show, with outstanding guest spots from prestigious burlesque performer Miss Betsy Rose and an appearance from Stroughair’s staple soul girl Jessica Steel, it was let down a little by the sound. The show had to be restarted within the first five minutes due to sound issues with both backing track and mic, the bass guitar was far too loud throughout and the speakers on stage facing Stroughair were so battered and shabby looking that they didn’t suit the Velma aesthetic at all. These are, however, small issues in the grand scheme of things, and Stroughair demonstrated his professionalism and experience in dealing with the restart – it did not faze him at all.
The best thing about the night is that everyone came out having learnt something, whether an outrageous ‘true fact’ about Stroughair’s famous musical theatre pals, being introduced to a new song they haven’t heard before (They Don’t Make Glass Slippers or Stranger in This World) or even a classic song in a new arrangement such as the beautiful rendition of Fame.
Velma Celli is a fantastic drag personality with an incredible voice – a Show Queen indeed, and it would be remiss to describe her in any other way.
Reviewed on 23rd May 2024.
