The spectacular, award-winning seaside show returns to Cromer Pier with all the stunning performances and hysterical humour you can expect!
Cromer Pier Summer Show is a yearly variety act show, bringing together fabulous performances from dancers, singers, speciality acts and comedians. This production marks the 125th anniversary of Cromer Pier opening: a major landmark on the Norfolk coastline which truly deserves some bold and strong acts for this year. With any great variety act, it is vital that transitions are swift and seemless; allowing the audience to always be engrossed in the performance. Thankfully, Rob McVeigh (Deviser and Director) and Amy Grimshaw (Deviser and Choreographer) have raised the bar with a production that keeps the audience fully entertained at all times. Alongside this, the support from producer Openwide Coastal Ltd continues to keep the standards high for the summer show. At the core of the show, the production team had a clear vision which was executed well through their own choreography and direction, but also by the strength of their performers. Additional credit must go to Ian Westbrook for incredible set design, Lillias Parsons for stunning costumes and Nigel Hogg for his long-running support of the show. Nigel Pattle and William Jarvis must also be noted for the production on the LED wall which elevated the show.
This year Jack Gleadow, a rising star in the world of comedy, took stage as the host. He was able to maintain audience interaction and bounced well off the guest performers and the audience. Specifically, there is a section in the first Act in which Gleadow invites two audience members onto stage to perform with him. His charisma shined through as he made the audience laugh and he made great use of his two guests. I also appreciated how Gleadow joined in with some dance sequences and numbers: making him the heart of the show.
Alongside Gleadow, Jamie and Charlee (Duo Douell) are a speciality act within the production. Jamie is a circus performer whilst Charlee is an aerialist performer, combining both their talents into the act of Duo Douell. Throughout, Duo Douell were fantastic with stunning aerial shots, impressive feats and also being involved with full company numbers: they really did it all! In the second act, Charlee puts a lot of trust into Jamie and, though it was nerve-racking to watch, make for great entertainment that kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
Also, there are four guest performers that are on a rotation, taking turns to add their own energy into the show. Myra Dubois performed from the 27th June to the 19th July. Martin Daniels will perform from the 11th August to the 29th August and K-Lo will perform from the 1st September to the 29th September. However, currently Phil Lowen is performing until the 8th August. Lowen is one of the UK’s leading comedy impressionists and this was evident within his performances. He is able to captivate an audience perfectly with quick-witted humour and high energy acts. I enjoyed his use of audience interaction, as well as his act involving a magical opera suit. His dynamic with Gleadow felt genuine which allowed for humorous acts.
Combining these acts with fantastic singers has always been essential to creating the perfect variety act and fortunately Cromer has this. Lead vocalists this year are Fern Duffy and James Hammond. McVeigh and Grimshaw have chosen two vocalists whose vocals blend flawlessy: making each musical moment special. Duffy’s vocals were phenomenal with some stand out moments including ‘Memory’ from Cats and the majority of the ABBA musical sequence. Hammond also has a great voice (specifically during the musical mashup), as well as upbeat characteristics which makes it a joy to watch him. Both complemented each other well and felt like a duo that have been performing together for many years!
The show would not be complete without an ensemble and this group of individuals brought their best qualities to the performances, being able to sing vocals whilst completing Grimshaw’s energetic choreography. Lewis Hemstock is noted as dance captain and has such a strong presence on stage. His moment during Lest We Forget was emotional as a result of his strong performance. The rest of the ensemble includes Katie Tearle, Edel Makein, Lewis Thompson, Ashley Bellamy and Ben Bartlett. They worked effortlessly together to make this show the spectacular that it deserves to be, regardless of a range of experience in the group. Each of them complemented the other well and allowed for great full company numbers.
We would highly recommend attending this summer spectacular this August! Book your tickets now!
Many thanks to the Cromer Pier team for organising tickets for us to attend. We wish you all the best with the rest of the run!
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