Andrew Pepper: House of Pepper, Crazy Coqs Review
Written by Cathie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
A hop, skip and a jump away from the bustling neon glow of Piccadilly Circus lies the fabulous Crazy Coqs Zedel. As you walk down the lushly decorated staircase it’s easy to believe you are going back in time to the heyday of 1920’s. This cabaret Sunday act is Andrew Pepper of House Pepper.
This is a welcome return to London for Andrew Pepper (he’s been in Paris don’t you know) and he grasps this opportunity with a flamboyant grace. Greeting the audience with a cheerful “hello Coqs!” in a colourful pink suit and curled hair, Andrew sings, jokes and dances for the audience’s gratification. He is high energy throughout this 110-minute show but also manages to shift the tone from sincere to hilarious, quiet to belting out Adele at the flick of his fingers. His raw authenticity and intensity are fabulous and lures the audience in so that they are spellbound throughout. One of the strongest impressions about this show is the positivity and genuine joie de vivre that Pepper has and how he uses it to change the world around him for the better. The audience definitely respond well to his high energy and any Sunday tiredness is blasted away by the force of his smile and intense blue eyes. The stories and anecdotes about his life and travel experiences are hilarious but do sometimes meander a bit far off the path or when he is expertly dealing with audience segues.
Pepper mostly sings throughout, sprinkling his stories with a variety of songs including Adele, Kylie Minogue and the great Lisa Minelli. He performs them well and can shift between songs with nary a breath to slow him down which is impressive in and of himself. Although Andrew is dynamic solo in this show he is accompanied on piano by Alex Maynard and Tristan Butler plays on drums. Pepper makes sure to acknowledge and tease them often throughout to the delight of the audience. Their teamwork is fabulous to watch and definitely adds layers to this shows’ dynamic performance.
This is a show is guaranteed to blast those Sunday scaries away from you and leave you laughing all night. House of Pepper is everything cabaret should be. If you enjoy cheesy gags, fabulous stage presence and a joyful night out then I recommend this show for you.
Andrew Pepper: House of Pepper, Crazy Coqs (Live at Zédel), 19 May, 16 June, 21 July, 8 September, 7.30pm. Tickets available at www.brasseriezedel.com/events/house-of-pepper
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
