Laughter in the Rain: The Mayflower (From Daily Echo)

Laughter in the Rain: The Mayflower

12:38pm Tuesday 29th June 2010 in

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It couldn’t have been any more realistic if Neil Sedaka himself had turned up in concert at The Mayflower.

Actor Wayne Smith so perfectly replicates the voice of the Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen singer that he could have been in the room.

That’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed the story of Sedaka’s life immensely. Much more than anticipated.

An audience – mostly made up of fans who enjoyed his hits the first time around – were so moved by the spectacular finale that they were on their feet strutting their stuff within seconds.

Breakin’ Up Is Hard To Do, Calendar Girl, Oh! Carol, Superbird and Amarillo, which Sedaka co-wrote – they were all the hits in a show which charted the rise, fall and rise again, of the talented singer-songwriter who grew up the son of a taxi driver in New York.

Smith, ever present on stage as Sedaka, leads a captivating cast of great singers, not to mention the brilliant band who bring his music to life.

Giant screens cleverly use historic footage to tell us Sedaka’s story with plenty of emotion and lots of laughter. There’s plenty to smile at here, including a hysterical cameo from Elton John (Kieran Brown).

Whether you’re a fan of Sedaka or not, you can’t help but get caught up in this uplifting tale of chart success, three decades apart on both sides of the Atlantic.

It’s a rock and rollercoaster of a musical.

• Laughter In The Rain runs until Saturday. Box Office 023 8071 1811.