Ben Francis Entertainment. One night Only. Shedley Theatre. 21 Nov 2024
What a privilege.
That is my foremost thought on being part of the audience for Ben Francis’s Elton John bio show.
What an immense entrepreneurial outreach it was. A one night only “preview” show, an out-of-town try-out run. And, Wow!
Francis, aged only 24, already is a celebrated name on the Australian entertainment scene for his spiffy The60Four productions, four brilliant singer dancers who met back at school performing vast tropes of 60s pop songs to sell-out houses.
Here, he goes out on his own, but in the company of handpicked creme-de-la creme of his generation in the form of a fabulous band, switched-on techs and back-up gals to die for.
The show shone with the eye for detail and the general finesse of the big time.
Razzle-dazzle lighting and visuals, gorgeous fun costumes all over the place, grand piano downstage with and five-man band on a raised dais... The aesthetic balance was as well planned as the content and the wealth of vivid projections swept the audience into a sense of the big time.
Keyboard man Marco Callisto did the musical direction with Francis, on vocal arrangements of course. The polished band consisted of guitarists Jake and Jason Dawson, Will Burton on sax and James Nisbet on drums. Ray Cullen did the show’s visuals with Ethan Hurn on lights and Craig Williams on sound. Tia Rodger and Trish Francis sorted out the array of costumes which mirrored the Elton John life story while Carla Papa choreographed the show including, outstandingly, the three backup singers - Tia Rodger, Lily Horton-Stewart, and Emma Pool. Now, these dancer/vocalists were a little show of their own, cleverly adding another element of stage action for the audience while enhancing both the music, the spirit, and the narrative. I’ve never seen better presentation of backups. Ever. Carla Papa is sterling. And so of course is Ben Francis in a performance of extreme physicality as well as high focus. His Elton bio script was thorough and enlightening, and also moving. And, as well as carrying the narrative, he performed all the songs in that amazing many-voices of his. Talk about range.
He’s calling out for audience feedback to enhance what is hoped will, deservedly, be a mainstream production of this show.
My twopence might be to somehow share the narration to lighten the load and perhaps cull out a lesser-known song or two, to tighten the length. Otherwise, like the rest of the preview audience, I stand in wild ovation.
Ben Francis is a mighty showbiz force with which to be reckoned.
He will go far.
Samela Harris
When: 21 Nov
Where: Shedley Theatre
Bookings: Closed
