Christmas with the Rat Pack

Darlington Civic Theatre

‘Tis the season to be jolly . . . and to be surrounded by wall-to-wall panto! But, before all that begins in earnest, Christmas with The Rat Pack is a very welcome deviation on the festive theme.

As the title suggests, the show treats audiences to an evening of the music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. Now in its tenth year, the appeal of this production is obvious – it’s slick, stylish and sensational.

Stephen Rashbrook, Mark Halliday and Matt Henry perform as Frank, Dean and Sammy, respectively, and they are joined by Robyn Currell, Nikki Stokes and Rachel Parrott as the Burrelli Sisters.

After beginning with a string of swing hits including Almost Like Being In Love, I’ve Got You Under My Skin and That Old Black Magic Called Love, the tone takes a seasonal turn and classic Christmas songs are integrated into the proceedings.

The performances are top-notch; each of the guys looks and sounds like the legend they are portraying, and there is a wonderful rapport between them. Some scripted ‘comedy patter’ entertains the audience between numbers and it is executed in a way that looks completely spontaneous.

The auditorium was pretty much full on press night, which bodes well for the rest of the week, proving that it is possible to present a seasonal show without having to have the audience shout out: ‘It’s behind you!’

Steve Burbridge.

‘Christmas with The Rat Pack runs at Darlington until Saturday 28 November 2009.