REVIEW: THE SARAH MCGUINNESS STORY: GRIT, GLITTER & GOBSHITES! A Cabaret musical at Etcetera Theatre 15 September to 4 October

'a born showman, with a beautiful voice and wicked personality' ★★★★

It's difficult to label a show these days as auto-biographical without a few moans and groans from the back labelling it as 'self-indulgent' and 'self-therapy' often because there is no truth or meat on the bone. It is rather rare to find one which grabs your attention and send you on a carpet ride of fascinating stories.

"Grit, Glitter and Gobshites" did just that.

Sarah McGuinness has done it all. She's rubbed shoulders with A-listers, established an Edinburgh Fringe venue, became a comedy agent, was an award-winning documentary maker, put comedians in her shows (some have gone on to become household names) despite none of which reached her ambitious lofty lights of glitz and fame that she dreamt of since she was a little girl growing up in Derry. But tonight, she gets her chance.

The Sarah McGuinness Story is exactly that. A story about Sarah's life: she's a born showman, with a beautiful voice and wicked personality. I can only think that it was Sarah's decision to welcome her guests with shots of Cointreau (free shot anyone? I think so). I particularly enjoyed the moments of unscripted delay like an impromptu toilet break later turning into an interval or whenever she needed to be fitted into her many show dresses by her smiley stagehand. Some might think that this production wasn't as organised as it should be and it is a 'work in progress', but the improvised moments and off-script quips made it all the more heartwarming and entertaining. We were after all in Sarah's backstage dressing room.

'In with the boobs, out with the old'.

The story starts with her returning back home in Derry/Londonderry. Sarah's tales of her unforgiving childhood in Derry, punctuated by bomb scares, political turbulence (The Troubles certainly made things incredibly difficult), an unforgiving mother, and cruel classmates, will break your heart. But cheeringly led her to discover the artists that would inspire her career in show business. Her impressive compositions were the soundtrack of a jukebox journey throughout decades of her career in the business. Leaning into the slightly rousing moments of clap along and singalongs are encouraged (in a small venue it's impossible to avoid) as Sarah gives it her all.

The space is made to feel like Masteroff’s Cabaret and for 105 minutes (advertised at 90) it made me imagine what it was like to be transported back to one of Sarah’s first gigs imagining sitting only a hair-width away from entertainment royalty.

A great tonic for anyone's night out.

Read our interview with Sarah McGuinness here

The Sarah McGuinness Story: Grit, Glitter & Gobshites! A Cabaret Musical

Etcetera Theatre

15th September to 4th October

£15

90 minutes

https://www.citizenticket.com/events/etcetera-theatre/the-sarah-mcguinness-story-grit-glitter-and-gobshites-a-cabaret-musical/