BWW Reviews: Caroline O'Connor In THE SHOWGIRL WITHIN, Garrick Theatre, September 29th 2010

You might have had your reservations about some of the star vehicle cabarets that have populated London in recent months, but Caroline O'Connor is a true musical theatre showgirl. Actually, make that "legend".

This romp through her career, which includes Piaf, Mack and Mabel, De-Lovely and Moulin Rouge, is slick and polished, drawing as it does on her previous one-woman shows, and her great working relationship with MD Daniel Edmonds is evident. His arrangements for the seven-piece band are impressive too - I was particularly struck with the Chicago mash-up.

It was lovely too to see four young backing dancers, particularly the sharp Fosse stylings of Liam Wrate, and Lauren Hall looking very different from the last time I saw her on stage, when she was driving round the New Wimbledon Theatre in a pink sparkly golf buggy as Sharpay in High School Musical 2.

Ignore the sound of the underground that plagues the Garrick, and fret not, there are no rodents to be spotted - get yourself along to The Showgirl Within for a funny, feisty, fabulous evening of pure musical delight. You won't regret it.

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