Frank’s Closet. Book, music and lyrics by Stuart Wood. The Union theatre, 229 Union Street, Southwark, London SE1 to 30 March 2024.

2✩✩ Review: William Russell.

“Great legs but not much in the closet.”

Director Sasha Regan has thrown pretty well everything except the kitchen sink at this revival of the show first seen in 2009 at at Hoxton Hall about gay Frank pondering marriage and his collection of souvenirs of various divas mostly past who duly come to life to pass on a tip or two. The score is pleasing, the set very handsome, the band superb, the costumes lavish and the four chorines, two of each sex I think, although these days you never know, prance and high kick divinely displaying great legs of different lengths. Andy Moss as Frank loiters pleasantly enough throughout worrying about wedding someone who is quite clearly not marriage material. Had director Regan tossed in the kitchen sink it might have been worth it. Luke Farrugia essays the divas like they have never been done before and with any luck never will be again. Paul Toulson as drag queen Sheila Blige wanders in and out of the action but you can get too much of anything. The show started late and Sheila Blige turned up in the foyer to entertain the waiting throng with an act which clashed hideously with what was to follow – the show is surely intended to be rather sweet and funny and to send up the way gay men fall for predictable show biz icons. This was drag bar smut. Part of the problem with the production is that the impersonations of who you would expect ranging from Julie to Dusty to Karen to Judy to Agnetta – although Ethel Merman did surprise me – were more impressions of the hit and miss variety than impersonations sending ups the divas, all of whom are sitting targets – and mostly in no position to give anyone pre-marital advice. The chances are, given the intended audience, however that Frank’s closet door will revolve furiously for the rest of the run allowing all who go to have a gay old time of it, which, as anything that fills a theatre these days has to be welcomed, is fine but what it has to say about gay life in the 1990s in which the plot is set was really not worth saying in 2009 when it was first produced and is less so now. That said the show does have legs – eight of which are rather fabulous – and once the sound man got it right in act two one could make out what they were saying and singing. A special tribute has to be given to dresser Furnell for ensuring the divas came on at the right time wearing the right costume.

Cast

Andy Moss – Frank.

Luke Farrugia – The Divas.

Oliver BradleyTaylor – Gaiety Girl.

Sarah Freer – Gaiety Girl.

Olivia McBride – Gaiety Girl.

Jack Rose – Gaiety Girl.

Paul Toulson – Shiela Blige.

Creatives

Director – Sasha Regan.

Musical Dire ctor – Anto Buckley.

Choreographer – Jo McShane.

Production Designer – Catherine Phelps.

Lighting Designer – Ben Bull.

Costume & Wigs Designer –Steven Metcalf.