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THE Lady Boys of Bangkok return to the North East of England in spectacular style with a flamboyant extravaganza combining the glamorous showgirl appeal of Las Vegas, the wow-factor of West End musicals and the heady spice of Bangkok’s exotic nightlife. STEVE BURBRIDGE caught up with Phillip and Carol Gandey to find out more. GET your glad-rags on, meet up with your mates and prepare to party, party, party. The fabulous Lady Boys of Bangkok are back by public demand and ready to entertain you like you’ve never been entertained before. For the seventh successive year, sixteen of the world’s most beautiful show-girls – who just happen to be men – are bringing the country’s favourite cabaret show back to Newcastle. The Fantasy and Feathers production encompasses sexy space-themed numbers, sensuous Latin rhythms and pulsating pop hits from Lady Gaga to The Saturdays. The producers and performers are delighted to be returning to Tyneside, as Phillip Gandey, artistic director, explains: ‘First and foremost, we find the Geordie audiences are very outgoing and don’t just sit there waiting to be entertained. They are ready to go out, party and really enjoy themselves and they come back year on year as they know the show is different every year. ‘They also know they are guaranteed a good time and that the songs and satirical comedy will be topical and up to date.’ One aspect that always remains the same, though, is the consistently high production standards associated with the show. Audiences will be treated to the trade-mark painstakingly-applied immaculate make-up, the glittering array of more than 300 designer-inspired hand-sewn costumes and the deliciously decadent show-stopping performances and routines. ‘We try to create a night out in Bangkok,’ says Phillip. ‘With all the sights and smells of Thailand under our Sabai Pavilion it [...]

Artistic Director: Phillip Gardey Adaption by: Tony Wilkie-Millar & Tian Run Min Original Music by: Mr Wu Jia Ji & Ms. Zhang Hongtao Reviewer: Poppy Helm The Public Reviews Rating: Rarely have I been so excited before a performance – a trip to the circus obviously brings out the child in me; a little ironic considering the surprisingly elderly audience in attendance at The Lowry – for the most part, the grandkids seem to have been left at home. In many ways, this is quite a grown up show; the cast are undeniably talented, bringing together martial arts, acrobatics and dance in an understated but thoroughly impressive fashion. This is not only entertainment, but a celebration of world class expertise, featuring both the famous Shaolin Warriors and a lead actress, Cao Jing, with three martial arts titles to her name. The narrative, based on a popular Chinese story, is somewhat extraneous, it’s purpose serving to link the acts together in a show that is spectacular enough to stand on its own. This journey is led by the twitchy Monkey King and every-hungry Pig, the latter inexplicably dressed as a New York taxi driver that left me wondering whether I was missing an ‘in’ joke somewhere. The opening scene sets the bar high with Chinese Dragons that move in perfect synchronicity as they wiggle and bounce to oriental music. Every movement is carefully choreographed, from the cast’s hands to the blinking eyes of the Dragons. The odd stray hat or dropped Diablo are inevitable in such an ambitious show but the acts appears sufficiently effortless that you can simply relax in the pleasure of watching rather than cringe in anticipation of the next blunder. Although I was initially skeptical about how well a circus act would work under a proscenium arch, the cast succeed [...]