While the amateur cast shine in this Cher retrospective, the clunky story-telling means the material falls flat…
Croft House Theatre Company has long held a reputation as one of Sheffield’s standout amateur groups (not many can justify five nights at The Lyceum), and on the strength of The Cher Show, it’s easy to see why.
What immediately sets this production apart is its consistently talented cast. Amateur theatre can often hinge on a handful of strong leads, with a noticeable drop-off elsewhere, but that simply isn’t the case here. From principals to ensemble, every performer plays their part in maintaining a genuinely high standard throughout. The result is a production that feels cohesive, confident and, at times, remarkably close to professional.
The show charts Cher’s life through three versions of the icon, each representing a different phase and facet of her personality. It’s a clever device, with all three performers interweaving throughout the evening. Star (Tanya Toby), Babe (Grace Hadabora) and Lady (Harriet Thompson) each bring something distinct to the role, but Thompson’s Lady just edges it, capturing both Cher’s vocal tone and presence with real precision and creating real emotional depth.
Elsewhere, Adam Walker’s Sonny brings energy and warmth, with his scenes fizzing thanks to an engaging dynamic with his co-leads, while there are also strong supporting turns, particularly from Caroline Fojut as Cher’s street-wise mum who just wants her daughter to marry someone rich, as well as Bob Mackie (Andrew Stansall) and Jamie Cooke, who doubles as Greg Allman and Phil Spectre.
Visually, the show is a real triumph. The choreography is sharp and assured, with the Argentinian tango sequence to Dark Lady standing out as the clear high point of the evening. The costumes are equally eye-popping. One memorable moment sees the ensemble parade a succession of increasingly bold outfits during the Sonny and Cher TV years, drawing audible gasps from the audience.
If there’s a drawback, it lies not with the company, but with the material itself. The script leans heavily on exposition, with too much telling and not enough showing. At times, it feels more like a narrated retrospective than a fully realised piece of theatre, almost as if you’re just reading Cher’s entry on Wikipedia with her ‘Best Of’ on in the background.
The music, too, is a mixed bag. There are undeniable hits; Believe, I Got You Babe, Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves and Turn Back Time are all decent tunes… but across a long running time, the catalogue doesn’t hold up to the same level of scrutiny as say Whitney Houston’s in The Bodyguard.
But this is not to detract from the achievement of Croft House Theatre Company. What they deliver here is slick, polished and impressively executed across the board. Vocals are strong, choreography is tight, and the production runs with real assurance from start to finish.
You leave less convinced by the show itself than by the people performing it… and perhaps that’s the highest compliment of all. On this form, whatever Croft House chooses to tackle next year, it will be well worth watching.
