Review: Chicago at Palace Theatre is ‘sexy, sassy and sinister’

Manchester has rolled back in time to the roaring twenties with the latest Chicago tour residing in the Palace Theatre.

Sexy, sassy, and sinister, this longstanding musical is jam-packed with well-known musical numbers such as All That Jazz, Razzle Dazzle, and Hot Honey Rag, the finale of which retains the original choreography by Bob Fosse.

Chicago at Palace Theatre

Supported by a full jazz band, led by musical director Neil MacDonald, audiences are transported to something of a blues bar in twentieth century Chicago, Illinois, where they can cheer and chant at all their favourite parts.

Dark comedy permeates this musical, following Roxie Hart (Faye Brookes) after she murders Fred Casely (Josh Crowther) because he tries to walk out on her. Once incarcerated in the Cook County Jail, we are introduced to Mama Morton (Brenda Edwards), Velma Kelly (Djalenga Scott) and the other murderesses through their rendition of Cell Block Tango.

Roxie’s trial progression is updated through a series of musical introductions, presented to the audience in a manner very much breaking the fourth wall.

Faye Brookes as Roxie Hart

Audiences are positioned as both observers of the musical in the traditional sense while also being intimately invited into the fantasies of Roxie as she daydreams of having her own act and own audience once she (hopefully) gets acquitted.

Faye Brookes is a dab hand at bringing Roxie Hart to life on stage, the starring role which she has undertaken on previous UK touring productions of Chicago.

Djalenga Scott as Velma Kelly

Also returning to her silver shoes with the rhinestones is Djalenga Scott as the cool and cunning Velma Kelly. Both are equally upstanding in their respective roles, and the chemistry between the conniving couple is clear. Loose Woman Brenda Edwards joins the cast as Mama Morton, showing off her vocal range with When You’re Good to Mama.

Chicago’s dancers are ‘the shining stars’

The shining stars on stage are the dancers, of course, who keep movement and energy alive at all times: Jessica Keable, Annabelle Laing, Victoria Anderson, Bethany Adamson, Lucy-Anne Stacey, Ria Tanaka, George Olney, Josh Crowther, Robin Kent, Matthew Sweet, Jacob McLay Reid, Jonathan Milton, Joe Dale, Oliver Ramsdale, and Elly Shaw.

Often their flexibility and fancy footwork making up for the characters who do a bit less dancing, like Billy Flynn (Kevin Clifton), Amos Hart (Joshua Lloyd), and Mary Sunshine (Jordan Lee Davis).

Staging for the show is simple, with a tiered structure centre stage where the band resides throughout the duration of the show. There is an entryway central within it where characters move freely in and out, and passageways down either side which are crowded with chairs to give a true effect of busy backstage corridors of jazz bars.

There are two full height ladders that swing out of either side of the stage that are used for various dance and narrative purposes. The most significant though is when the Hungarian rope trick is performed, a metaphor for the first woman to be convicted and hanged for murder in 47 year history in this fictional setting. Haze and lighting combine to produce the smoky effect that lingers in the air, and sequins and confetti find their place within the production design, while the entire set and costumes are predominantly black in colour.

Tickets for Chicago at Palace Theatre

Chicago is only in town for a few days, running until Saturday 9^th November with matinees on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets start at £36 and can be purchased here.

The show runs for approximately two and a half hours, including a twenty-minute interval. Don’t miss your chance to get involved with one of the sexiest shows around.