Pellow put a spell on me! (From Daily Echo)

Pellow put a spell on me!

11:14am Tuesday 18th November 2008 in Search By Lorelei Reddin, Entertainments Editor

THE women of Southampton didn’t stand a chance when invited to dance with the devil at The Mayflower last night.

Former Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow had a busy first night audience well and truly under his spell as the devilishly sexy Darryl Von Horne in The Witches of Eastwick.

His gyrating hips and the odd flash of flesh set the scene for plenty of seduction and sizzling sexual tension throughout.

There’s plenty here to appeal to the chaps as well. Our three witches – Ria Jones as Alexandra, Poppy Tierney in the role of Jane and Rebecca Tierney back in the part of Sukie she excelled at in the West End – are sensational.

But it is Pellow who is an absolute revelation as the leadman. Vocally he excels as you would expect, but as a character he is totally mesmerising. He’s seductive, sultry, mischievous, menacing and energetic all rolled into one.

The Witches of Eastwick is an engrossing tale of seduction, sex and scandal adapted for the stage from the book and the hit film starring Jack Nicholson.

When three desperate housewives in midtown America wish for the man of their dreams, they get far more than they bargain for. All hell breaks loose with the arrival of Daryl Van Horne. The special effects, which brought a touch of the dark arts to the Mayflower stage, include an explosive finish and add to the spectacle of what is a wonderful show.

This is not a sing-a-long musical with songs you will end up humming but the music and choreography perfectly suit its naughty and dark mood.

The Witches of Eastwick is a refreshingly different musical and is not for the fainthearted.

LORELEI REDDIN The Witches of Eastwick runs until Saturday. Box office: 023 8071 1811