Review: SALTY BRINE: HE’S SO UNUSUAL, Soho Theatre
Photo credit: Han Jie Chow
Powerhouse performer Salty Brine’s Living Record Collection smashes together classic literature, pop icons and often a gentle smattering of personal autobiography in a uniquely brilliant cabaret.
For the third in the trifecta of shows presented at Soho Theatre, Salty takes their inspiration from Cyndi Lauper’s first solo album as well as George Chauncey’s history book Gay New York. Through Lauper and Chauncey’s words and stories, He’s So Unusual zooms in on the seedy underbelly of New York in the 1930s – a city ravaged by economic depression, prohibition and morality policing.
After migrating upstairs to the Soho Theatre Main House for their Annie Lennox show, it’s a delight to see Salty return to the downstairs venue; a darker, more intimate space that feels like a testament to the clandestine clubs and bars in London and New York that nurtured sexual deviants of every flavour in years gone by.
Fabulously suited and booted by costume designer Katie Fry, Salty Brine is an astounding performer with a clear and inspiring passion for their source material. The more this reviewer sees of Salty, the more they prove their supreme craftsmanship and wide-ranging hinterland.
For this show, musical director and arranger Ben Langhorst joins Salty onstage to complete a savagely sassy double act. The two have remarkable chemistry, matching charisma, comic timing and staggering musicality.
Under Max Reuben’s direction, Salty’s script is punchy, outrageous and roars along at a breathless pace.
Another triumph from Salty Brine – He’s So Unusual is a love letter to queer artistry and radical defiance, giving a resolute middle finger to bigotry and repression. Sharp comedy in a shimmering package – this reviewer has an unquenchable thirst for more Salty Brine.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Livvy Perrett
