REVIEW: Epic Love Stories – VOX Theatre Arts

EPIC Love Stories

Presented by VOX Theatre Arts at The Loft, West End

Directed by Tayla Simpson

Hosted and Vocal Direction by Rhona Bechaz

Band: Sean Alan Fagan, Benjamin Richards and Nathan Cho

Set Design: Tamzen Hunter

Sound and Lighting: Maddy Simons, Steve Maples and Melanie Simons

Photography: Aylish Tan – Artist Focused

Valentine's weekend can be a bit of a minefield. Maybe you're happily loved up, maybe you're rolling your eyes at the price of roses, or maybe you've watched The Princess Bride enough times to firmly believe that nobody will ever top Wesley and Buttercup (Just me?)

Thankfully, VOX Theatre Arts had the perfect answer. Epic Love Stories was a cheeky cabaret-burlesque celebration of iconic couples from film and musicals, taking all those swoon-worthy romances, grand gestures and wonderfully ridiculous tropes we know and love and turning them up several notches. And what a collection of couples it was! Dirty Dancing, Titanic, Wicked, The Addams Family, Mamma Mia!, Rocky Horror, The Great Gatsby, Death Becomes Her, Brokeback Mountain, Little Shop of Horrors, Barbie and Ken, and even the Mystery Inc. gang all got their moment in the spotlight.

The Loft in West End was made for this sort of show. Audience members enjoyed themed cocktails while settling in for a night of romance, nostalgia and blushing. Guiding us through the evening was vocal director Rhona Bechaz, whose old-Hollywood accent, dimpled smile and gloriously bad jokes quickly won over the crowd. Under Tayla Simpson's direction, the show gleefully embraced every cliché. There were longing gazes, dramatic dances, discarded items of clothing, and enough smouldering looks to fog up the room. No matter what nonsense arrived next, everyone threw themselves into it without hesitation.

The evening opened with a sweet rendition of L-O-V-E, before Hannah Box brought all the sass and razzle dazzle required for Funny Honey (Chicago). She later joined Aimee Segal for a spirited queer rendition of What Is This Feeling? (Wicked), complete with plenty of knowing glances between Elphaba and Glinda. Historia Scott and Campbell Briggs made a highly convincing Morticia and Gomez, bringing plenty of passion to Live Before We Die (Addams Family), while Ashlin Cork looked like she was having a blast in the wonderfully silly I'm Just Ken/Barbie Girl mash-up. Venus brought Romy and Michele's particular brand of disco glamour to life and had me singing along!

Elsewhere, Lay All Your Love On Me (Mamma Mia) delivered all the yearning that young love could muster, while Billy Gray arrived in gold hotpants and absolutely no shame for Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me (Rocky Horror). Skye Schultz and Jack Barrett's Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy gave Brokeback Mountain a theatrical makeover, leaning into the joke with cowboy hats, hobby horses, and absolutely no concern for subtlety.

Annie Rose Paroz proved to be one of the vocal powerhouses of the evening. Her voice soared through several numbers, particularly Back to Black, where her vocals accompanied Tayla Simpson's sultry performance inspired by Daisy and Jay from The Great Gatsby. Paroz returned later with a gorgeous rendition of My Heart Will Go On, while Angelina Mustafay and Skye Schultz turned Jack and Rose's doomed romance into something far less tragic and far more ridiculous as Rose gradually strip off while displaying very little concern for poor Jack's fate. I never thought I'd find myself laughing like a hyena through a song that normally leaves me sobbing. Somehow, Titanic, burlesque, and a few well-placed props proved to be a winning combination.

Speaking of props, Jack Barrett's Grow For Me alongside a particularly frisky Audrey II puppet provided one of the biggest laughs of the night. That plant had absolutely no business behaving the way it did, and yet somehow the audience accepted its questionable behaviour without hesitation. And then there was Let's Get It On. Featuring the Mystery Inc gang and Mark James singing as Scooby-Doo himself, the number descended into complete nonsense. You really haven't lived until you've witnessed a Scooby-Doo orgy parody. And somehow, this is actually my second...

The live band, featuring Sean Alan Fagan, Benjamin Richards and Nathan Cho, brought a warmth and spontaneity that recorded tracks simply can't match. Tamzen Hunter's oversized heart set piece dominated the stage with all the subtlety of Sharpay Evans entering East High. Lighting and sound from Maddy Simons, Steve Maples and Melanie Simons kept pace with the show's constant swings between romance, comedy and after-dark antics.

By the time the company came together for This Will Be (An Everlasting Love), I left feeling exactly as a Valentine's cabaret should make you feel: transported, thoroughly entertained, and perhaps just a little bit flustered. In a world that feels permanently glued to bad news headlines, I can't think of a better excuse to indulge in a little fantasy for a couple of hours.

Epic Love Stories reminded me that sometimes it's perfectly okay to surrender to the cheese, root for the happy ending, and sing along to the love songs. Because the world could always use a little more epic romance...