Review: Mitch Benn, Lakeside

The only problem with this show is that, purely in a visual sense, it doesn't come totally alive till after the interval. Otherwise, in The Where Next Tour, Mitch Benn and the Distractions provide excellent entertainment.

Benn comes up with a gimmick-free evening of parody of other people's songs and singing styles, as well as songs of satire on topical issues. He's a good impressionist - his John Lennon is spot-on - and a funny social commentator.

Celebrities who adopt African babies take it where it hurts, and so, in a US-style place-name song, does motorway service station catering.

The Distractions, Ivan Shepherd (percussion) and Kirsty Newton (guitar and keyboard), are a splendid complement to Benn. In particular, the red-haired Newton has a fine voice, demonstrated, for example, in a mickey-take of your bog standard West End musical opening number.

There's a tasteless one where Kenny Rogers is bemoaning his botched face lift; and a wickedly accurate pastiche of a circa-1961 dead boyfriend song. In the latter he's been helped to his end by the girlfriend. But the undoubted high point of the evening is Benn's rap version of Shakespeare's Scottish play. Besides anything else, it's rather good rap.

Benn, Newton and Shepherd were rightly asked back for an encore.

ALAN GEARY