RVP 2015

For three years in a row now I have been lucky enough to get to review the Royal Variety Performance for The Stage. The last two years, the event has been held at the Palladium and the venue and team has provided both a sense of occasion and spectacle unparalleled in today's live entertainment market. It's a long old show but oh, the acts! In three years I have seen Robbie Williams, Bette Midler, Shirley Bassey, Kylie Minogue, Jack Whitehall, One Direction, McBusted....you get the picture.

The ticket price is hefty but it is important to remember that this event takes place to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity - previously known as the Entertainment Artists Benevolent Fund - a worthy cause if ever there was one. To be honest, the price of the ticket is irrelevant when you catch the line-up each year. Imagine the cost of buying a ticket to each of their live concerts? Also I need to point out that my ticket is free of charge, at the invitation of the producers.

This year the venue returned to the Royal Albert Hall, a venue with a huge capacity, ergo a much bigger money spinner for the RVC. It also means that more people get the chance to see the show live. The problem is that this style of venue compromises the theatrical element to such an extent that it becomes more of a 'posh live recording' than a theatrical highlight.

The thrust stage provides much better control for the ITV cameras recording the show but this year much of the theatrical magic has been dissipated to serve the live recording. There are no tabs to hide the many scene changes and rather than have the wonderful host Jack Whitehall keep us entertained in between, we are shown video compilations of previous RVP highlights. Also sad to say that these pauses provide the perfect excuse for an audience to get-up for a pee, go for a walk or sadly go the bar for a top-up.

I should imagine the TV recording will be a very slick affair, with only advertising interrupting the viewers but it's a step backwards in terms of theatrical presentation. Also, the production design appears to lack creativity on the last two years, something made self evident simply by watching a few of those video compilations. These might seem like minor irritations but they all reflect on the live theatrical presentation. Audiences are of course changing. Perhaps the RVP should become a stadium event?  Either way, this year the RVP may be the best light entertainment programme on ITV but unlike the last couple of years, I'd have to hesitate before labelling it the best live show in town.