Review - DOUZE
Rating: ★★★★
Review by Raymondo for Mumble Musicals on August 4th 2017
Stagecraft: ★★★★
Book: ★★★
Performance: ★★★★
Douze is a high energy and highly entertaining look at the world of The Eurovision Song Contest. From an Irish angle, of course, & in an earlier interview with the Mumble, its musical male lead, Anthony Keigher, described the origins of this madcap adventure.
I had just finished a show in Ireland, and someone quite well do-to in the theatre scene asked me…’What’s XNTHONY doing next?’. And I replied…completely off the cuff…’Eurovision’. He said it was a good idea…and I got to thinking…We then brought it to Dublin Fringe Festival..followed by a European Tour and BANG! Here we are!
With Ireland in the running to wipe the board clean at the contest, the trio that is Xnthony, Hannah and Tiffany are on the road looking to gather support for their trip to Europe. With more gold than you could dig out of an African gold mine and enough sparkle to light up the night sky, their choice of costumes was not just dazzling but endearing too. Like two American cheerleaders and a bouncy Andy Bell, these young guns were heading to Lisbon in 28 days and we had to vote for their song that would take them to the top.
From start to finish you will be hooked! This is a full-on, hour-long show of dancing, singing, movement and laughter. As Douze rolls on like a champagne-dizzy dilletante, the madness of Tiffany becomes apparent, a whirlwind of facial and body movements that you didn’t think possible from any human being was unleashed upon us like monsoon rain. That girl needs help. With her compadre, Hannah, trying her best not to stumble and fall every 2 minutes over her own feet, this was a true laugh a minute comedy. But, with Xnthony taking front and centre, it was obvious who wears the trousers in this trio, or should I say tight gold hot pants.
Douze is a well-crafted, glitz-garnished piece of musical comedy magic. The audience was in stitches at songs like Numbers and Invincible and delivery of all three performers was excellent. Allowing the audience to be part of the show is always a good move. Firing questions at them, clambering over seats and spreading their sweat drips among the bewildered crowd, I soon found Xnthony seating on my lap, like a gold statue of Buddha. Turning themselves into gold glitter like Jelly Fish, the show closes with the appropriately named song ‘Glitter.‘ This show has bundles of joy, fun, hysteria, laughter, madness and love all contained within one larger than life Irish Pop band… Lets help take “Douze” to the Eurovision Song contest and go see this show.