Murder, Greed, Violence, Corruption, Exploitation, Adultery, Treachery....All those things we hold near and dear to our hearts.

So begins the musical Chicago the kiss-and-tell tale of Roxie Hart, a nightclub dancer who kills her love, Billy Flynn, a sharp lawyer who turns Roxie into a celebrity; and Velma Kelly, a dancing jailbird with an ear for the headlines and an eye for talent. It is a loving look back at vaudeville, a timely satire on the justice system, and above all a reminder of what great theatre can be.

Having recently had a spate of success with the Oscar winning film, London production featuring in Musicality on Channel 4 and more celeb stars than you can shake a stick at, Chicago is doing a regional tour for the first time since 2001, without a star name, but still with all that jazz.

Fans of the film will flock to see the original production and won't be disapointed, but will get a completely different show than expected. The classy, stylish, Fosse coreography is there, with styalised performances, a inspired on-stage orchestra and enough razzel dazzle to keep you enthralled for the duration.

The film has benefitted from numerous cuts, which make the stage show drag at times and seem overlong...but you certainly get your money's worth. 

The sexy lace, fishnets and tight tops of the dancers showed the snazzy, stylised and erotic style right through the show, and the stunning dancing and chorography really oozed style, infact the who show oozes style, the sets, the costumes, the songs, the story, the dancing, the lighting….Chicago is the definitive of style!

A strong cast show of their true versatility and talent throughout the play, the sassy Velma Kelly played by Rachel Stanley, is confident and with a wonderful voice, the same is true of Roxie Hart (Claire Taylor) who doesn’t fail to dominate her character, and is much better than Renée Zellweger. Christopher Howell plays Amos Hart, the character you can’t help but love, with so much conviction you’ll laugh and cry your way through his own song. 

The surprise of the show however is Bristolian Cavin Cornwall as Billy Flynn, he inhabited his role and came out triumphant, he offers a different take on this character and one that truly works. 

The humorous story features some astounding songs and scenes, however Act 1 seemed too long. It began to drag towards the end, and just wasn’t exciting, the same can’t be said for Act 2. From is foot-tapping opening, the pace quickened, the humour sharpened and the razzmatazz leaked from every corner. The radiant Trial scene is just awe-inspiring, the choreography and dancing throughout is unfaultable, the whole show is just classy!

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