Now enjoying a monthly residence at Crazy Coqs, cabaret supremo, Andrew Pepper brings his eclectic setlist and exuberant personality to the stage.
Accompanied by just piano (Alex Maynard) and percussion (Dae Hyun Lee standing in at short notice) , and a vision in pink (first half) and glittery blue (second half), Pepper defies definition.
He has the dangerous pussycat demeanour of Vincent Price mixed with the dynamic voice of peak Cher or Garland, the grace of Bambi, and a pinch of Phyllis Diller.
Very confident and extremely playful, he captures the room quickly while romping through songs ranging from the works of Jacques Brel (“Carousel” and “Jacky”) to Tim Minchin’s gorgeous “Not Perfect”.
Highlights from a near two-hour set include Adele’s “When We Were Young,” Jeff Blumenkrantz’s ballad, “Hold My Hand” (with “added Covid protection”), and the Bricusse/Ornadel classic from Pickwick, “If I Ruled The World”.
The spirit of Carmen Miranda is conjured alongside the wordplay of The Beatles’s “Come Together”. And the 60s song which seems to be a camp cabaret staple, King/,Goffin’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” is both touching and subversive.
Every House of Pepper is different, as this performer seems to have an exhaustive list to pick from and an enviable set of pipes to match.
It’s something of an exhausting show to watch as, interval aside, Pepper rarely pauses. The opening moments pop and fizzle with musical after musical referenced in snatches of divadom.
Pepper could be Mama Rose or Norma Desmond. He recalls being the Emcee in a school production of Cabaret, and then turns on a whim to head into a song to smash your heart.
He’s fun, sparkly, and ridiculously talented. It isn’t a linear show. Often it doesn’t make sense. But this wild and unpredictable ride is as spicy as the name may suggest, adding a bit of extra taste to a bland world.
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Andrew Pepper returns to Crazy Coqs on 8 Sep with tickets here.