Jason Donovan Doin’ Fine 25 at Lighthouse Poole Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Anita Connor

I was very excited when I heard we had got tickets to review Jason Donovan ‘Doin’ Fine 25’, at Lighthouse, Poole. The ‘Doin’ Fine 25’ tour is a long awaited follow up to his hugely successful earlier tour, ‘Doin’ Fine 90’.

The sell-out audience was made up of both young, (mainly female!) fans and older people who could reminisce alongside him. The anticipation on entering the concert hall was already building – this was helped by countdown warnings before the show even began, by Alison Hammond, Kylie Minogue and finally Gary Barlow. When Jason came bounding onto the stage, the audience erupted, and the stage was set for a memorable concert. Some of his fans were up on their feet, dancing and clapping from the very first song and the atmosphere in the concert hall was electric.

The concert is a celebration of his amazing career in music, theatre and television. It was in the 1980’s that Jason appeared on our television screens in Neighbours, alongside Kylie Minogue. In the first half of the show there was a section highlighting Jason’s theatrical performances. This began with him singing Pure Imagination from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, followed by Any Dream will do, from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. I first saw Jason in the role of Joseph at the London Palladium in 1991 and it still stays in my memory. This section ended with Sweet Transvestite from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, highlighting the wide range and diversity of his performances throughout his career.

The backdrop to his singing included photographs of Jason through the years and there was a moving tribute to his father Terence. There was a video of Terence singing Frank Sinatra’s song. I’ve got you under my skin, with Jason joining in to sing alongside his father.

There was a 20-minute interval and then Jason was back. He gave a very energetic and lively performance and was even going round the stage on a skateboard at one point in the show. His backing group were good and his backing singer, Sophie, had a lovely voice. She joined Jason in singing some of the famous duets that he had originally performed with Kylie, including Sealed with a Kiss, Happy Together, and, of course, the final song, Too Many Broken Hearts.

There was one song notably missing from the selection chosen for the tour, but this was obviously included in the encore – there couldn’t be a concert without Especially for You, and along with Don’t Leave me this Way, it was a brilliant way to close the show. A great evening, obviously enjoyed by everybody – Jason’s still ‘Doin’ Fine’!

The concert hall in the Lighthouse is a brilliant venue for live music of all genres with great acoustics. There is a café and bar for pre-theatre dining and drinks, and car parking is available nearby.

There was lots of Jason themed merchandise available for purchase. This included programmes, tee shirts, hats, key rings, magnets, cups and water bottles.

Rating: 5/5

For more information or to book tickets, visit www.jasondonovan.com | www.lighthousepoole.co.uk

Venue address – Lighthouse, 21 Kingland Road, Poole, BH15 1UG.