Reviewed by Amanda Hayes
I took my mum along to The Hawth in Crawley, West Sussex, last night where we had a fabulous evening watching the performance of Cilla, The Musical. Situated just ten minutes from Gatwick Airport, with very easy access to the M23 motorway and plenty of free parking The Hawth is a great theatre to watch any show.
Once in the foyer picking our up tickets was quick and easy even though the theatre was packed and we were soon seated in the rear stalls which has a fantastic view of the stage. Unlike some theatres there isn’t actually a bad seat in the house and the acoustics are fabulous. During the interval the theatre has plenty of seating in and nearby the bar area which is well-stocked including a selection of lovely local ice creams to purchase. Before the show you can pre order a 2 or 3 course meal in their restaurant so you can make a complete evening of it.
The stage performance follows the story of Liverpool girl Cilla White (Kara Lily Hayworth), as she was formerly known, and her relationship with Bobby Willis (Alexander Patmore) and Brian Epstein (Andrew Lancel). Cilla’s on-stage life story starts in 1963 where she sings with the Beatles in the Cavern Club and although has a shaky start ultimately ends up getting her talent spotted by the producer Brian Epstein. Although she already has Bobby as her manager, she convinces Brian to keep him on as her road manager and he continues to accompany her on every performance. Cilla’s two number one hits, “Anyone Who Had a Heart” and “You’re My World” both come along in 1964 where after Brian and Bobby have different visions in the type of music Cilla should sing. Cilla only listens to Brian causing friction between her and Bobby.
Cilla The Musical
Photo credit Matt Martin
The production follows the rise of Cilla’s career, her friendship with The Beatles, the ups and downs of her relationship with Bobby and the death of Brian Epstein. Fantastic music links the whole story together, combined with the plenty of Cilla’s hits there are several other gems for sixties music fans such as Mamas and Papas; California Dreaming and the Beatles Twist & Shout.
Neil MacDonald and Jane Ashley both play brilliant parts as Cilla’s Mum and Dad bringing plenty of laughs throughout the performance. The star of the show though was definitely Kara Lily Hayworth who played an absolutely amazing Cilla with her wonderful singing voice filling the stage to massive applause.
We had a fabulous evening watching and listening to the amazing performance of Cilla The Musical and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Cilla is running from Tuesday 13h to Saturday 17th November at The Hawth so get your tickets quickly as I predict it will be an extremely popular show.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £38 to £45.50 (booking fees may apply).
Cilla The Musical is at The Hawth in Crawley from 13-17 November 2018, for more information or to book tickets visit hawth.co.uk or call the box office on 01293 553636.
The Hawth, Hawth Avenue, Crawley, Sussex, RH10 6YZ | 01293 553636
