The tickets were gifted in return for an honest review
Jason Donovan is a world-renowned performer both in the musical theatre world and in mainstream media. Having gained fame on the Australian soap Neighbours, Donovan’s career path continued to shoot from strength to strength through the release of eighties hit Especially for You with Kyle Minogue as well as other pop hits like Too Many Broken Hearts under producers Stock Aitken Waterman. Following this, he then earned his stripes on the West End stage, performing as the titular character in The London Palladium’s cast of Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, amongst other fantastic, more recent roles in shows like Priscilla Queen of the Desert and even The Rocky Horror Show. Whilst Donovan’s life may not have followed a straightforward path, he has continued to achieve and to inspire and in his solo concert tour Doin' Fine Encore, takes us on a journey through his career in a highlight reel of some of his most famous works from stage and pop spanning his 35-year career. Expect a night of dynamic energy and special moments especially for you!
Having seen Donovan perform previously in The Rocky Horror Tour last year, I knew that he would have a fun command over and rapport with his audience and was not disappointed! He began with the titular song of the tour, Doin' Fine, which had the audience instantly on their feet with excitement. Throughout the show, Donavan’s energy was infectious as he took centre stage with dance and bounce, sprinting around the stage- and even at one point skateboarding- with no signs of slowing down! We were then treated to a wonderful stagey segment introduced with the song Pure Imagination and followed by hits from Joseph and Rocky Horror; a theatre lover’s dream. I’d have liked to have seen more of this interwoven throughout the rest of the tour, which focused more on Jason’s pop hits and eighties covers, though these were real crowd pleasers! A real highlight of Act One came in the form of a wonderfully warm duet with his father Terrence Donovan, singing on video in a clip from 1961 which was incredibly touching.
The rest of the show was a real party, with wonderful, bright costume choices, audience engagement and moments of real nostalgia; a little something for everyone! And unlike many stars of years gone by, Donovan’s microphone was definitely ON for the entire performance, not relying on backing tracks but proving that he absolutely still has the talent he displayed in 1989 and beyond! Jason is clear that, despite some misinformation in the press, this is certainly not a retirement tour which delighted an audience of clearly loyal fans. Jason’s band felt like part of his extended family, bringing their own super talents and a laugh and a joke too. A special shoutout to his backing singer Sophie, who provided wonderful vocals throughout as well as a great solo moment in place of Kylie and even some super flute playing! Of course, we were treated to those hit songs that were an instant delight; Too Many Broken Hearts, Don’t Leave Me This Way and Sealed with a Kiss being particular crowd favourites!
Whether you were a child of the eighties, a long-term fan or a member of the musical theatre community, this concert celebration is sure to have something especially for you! Expect a night of high energy, nostalgia and utter fun to be had! Jason Donovan is now wrapping up on his tour of the UK in Doin' Fine Encore but I truly look forward to seeing what he does next, be it stage or screen!
Jason Donovan's tour is now complete but you can visit https://www.jasondonovan.com/ to check for future dates and for more information on Jason's work.
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