BWW Reviews: AND THE BEAT GOES ON, Tron Theatre, Glasgow, March 25 2015

Don't let the glitzy promo images fool you - And The Beat Goes On is quite a dark affair. Lily and Peter are a couple who keep themselves to themselves. In the privacy of their own garage they like to re-enact every episode of The Sonny And Cher show, timed perfectly to the 57-minute run time. It initially seems like a harmless (if a little odd) pastime; it soon becomes apparent that their hobby is covering up a darker secret.

When Joan (Julie Wilson Nimmo) moves next door to the couple she is intruiged by how secretive the pair seem and makes it her mission to get to know them better. Nimmo plays the part of the suburban American nosey neighbour perfectly and despite the dark content of the play provides a lot of light relief.

Johnny McKnight and Julie Brown are outstanding in the lead roles of Peter and Lily. Lily seems to gain confidence in certain situations by handling them "as Cher" and she has her mannerisms bang on - right down to every hair toss. The only times Peter seems to be confident in his relationship is when he is in character and again, he has the part of awkward but devoted Sonny perfected.

To be honest, I was fairly certain I was going to love this show from the minute I heard about it. The storyline is solid, the acting is fantastic and the costumes are brilliant. The drama is spliced with performances of Sonny and Cher hits and as Peter and Lily's secrets are exposed it becomes apparent why the wholesome duo appeal to them so much.

And The Beat Goes On runs at the Tron Theatre until March 28th.

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