Wheelers and Wobblers Charity Concert

August 2014.

Westgate Common club Wakefield

Producer: Sam Lyons

Reviewer: Mark Ritchie

A benefit evening for a charity that performs great work in providing access for the disabled was staged in the traditional surroundings of a Wakefield social club.

A whole swathe of civic dignitaries was in attendance on the night, as well as organisers and supporters and there was certainly plenty to enjoy in terms of both style and variety during what turned out to be a hugely enjoyable evening.

Pix on Hawes photography site

Thomas Anthony ( pic) Here we have a genuine comedy find in the shape of young comedy magic entertainer Thomas Anthony. It would be interesting to discover where this man forged his career and gathered his material which is, on the whole, pretty slick and original. The style and substance of the act nods heavily in the direction of holiday centre cabaret and contains elements of traditional variety. This is not to suggest there is nothing fresh and new here. A routine with a predictive sight gag and a Velcro suit is a delight and some lovely prop-based sight gags lend pace and energy to the line of crowd approach. Is Thomas Anthony a comedy star in making? Possibly!

Little Sam Lyons was the driving force behind this show and her tiny tag is well earned. Diminutive in stature, Miss Lyons has a big heart and sells a kind of comedy sex card within the framework of her music and dance based show. Normally found as part of a two female duo by the name of Freshly Squeezed, this was a rare solo outing for a talented and expansive artiste. I just cannot include a review of Little Sam Lyons without highlighting the stage wear, which was very small and extremely sexy…..just like Little Sam herself in fact.

Melissa ( pic) the glamorous singer Carrie Michaels was due to close the show out, but a car problem en-route to the venue had organiser Little Sam trawling around for an eleventh hour replacement. Stunningly presented singer Melissa Radway, who is known for some reason simply as Melissa, leapt gallantly into the breach and came up trumps with a superbly delivered late night set. Melissa shows lots of performance skills and is a real gold nugget of an artiste. Some more suitable backing tracks would complete the impressive picture completely, but nothing should detract from the sheer talent on show here.