Showstopper explores the emotional life of an exuberant "dub" singer - Carole James. Carole’s experiences are borrowed from those of the real-life Marni Nixon who, in the 1950s and 60s, was the talented anonymous voice of filmstars Audrey Hepburn and Deborah Kerr (to name but a few) in their most famous musical films. This one-woman play claims to be about 'love', probably because it looks at the era of the film musical but it seems to have more to do with the pursuit of happiness.
 | | Rebecca Thornhill as Carole |
Rebecca Thornhill lights up the stage with her phenomenal interpretation of Carole James. Her beautifully traditional presentation brings across the innocent hopelessness of a woman determined to please. Thornhill has a strong voice which she manipulates to convey Carole’s attempt to sound more proper than she is, and captures the true Carole when she drops her façade in a moment of reminiscence. As for her singing voice - in the moments when the audience is graced with it - this confirms the casting success. Her voice is very pretty and well focused, a pleasure to listen to.Ìý Carole is a verbally incontinent woman who is obsessed with Audrey Hepburn and desperate to be at the heart of fame. After years of sitting anonymously on the edge of it, her work brings her closer than she could have imagined to her idol. However, rather than increasing her happiness, this experience teaches her: "Beauty is just things getting in the way of freedom." These beautiful, famous women have high expectations to meet and are no more contented than she is herself, a concept she struggles to understand. | "There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl's complexion." | | Audrey Hepburn |
We watch her in three different scenarios which apply increasing pressure on her to 'perform'. The first is comical and shows her in a place she feels comfortable, where her quirky, gossipy side reveals itself. The next is in a place she feels she ought to be comfortable but somehow isn’t and starts digging a hole with her quick gossipy tongue. This sequence is very well performed and easy to empathise with; as a good character she draws pity from the audience with her hopeless talk and poor audition skills. As an anonymous artist to the public Carole had been able to say exactly what she thought but in the end her frank opinion places her in an inevitably awkward position. "There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl's complexion" - little does she realise how apt this quote of Hepburn's is to her own situation. Showstopper is really a character study rather than a full show which makes it difficult to watch for two hours. On the whole it is poorly written with too much repetition losing the attention of the audience in parts. If you are interested in Hollywood film musicals between the 40s and 60s, however, this show may be for you. Countless jokes referring to stars from this period make up a large part of the script. Visually this is no feast either. The action is static with only odd flashes from Carole’s memory projected onto a screen (that made half of the set) to break the stillness, but this seemed pointless as they were poor and landed askew on the white backdrop. Rebecca Thornhill’s performance is the only strong element in the production. It is not very often you see an actor with so much ability and stamina playing such an interesting character, it is just a shame that the script isn’t more engaging -Ìý for her sake and for the audience. Showstopper, a production from the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, was at Wakefield Theatre Royal on Wednesday March 8th 2006. | 
