Copacabana
By Pat Ashworth for The Stage


Glorious technicolour is almost an understatement for this dazzling production of Barry Manilow's musical about the writing of a musical. There are more feathers on stage than a turkey farm at Christmas and if it moves, it sparkles. Like the old MGM films it parodies, it is sheer escapism but the comedy is antidote for the sentiment it oozes from every pore.

There are some delicious moments and many of them come from Louise Freeman's fresh and endearing performance as Lola, the small town girl who wants to make it big, whose innocence leads her to tangle with the Mafia in the shape of Rico (Mark Faith).

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