Sunday, April 14, 2013

John Shuttleworth: Out of Our Sheds, Live in Stirling



John Shuttleworth lived up to his billing as "South Yorkshire's Most Versatile Singer-Songwriter" at Stirling University on March 29th, when he brought his "Out of our Sheds" show to the Macrobert Theatre. With his trademark deadpan wit, entertaining songs, keyboard wizardry and endlessly joyous repartee, he left his audience delighted, and bewildered. Turning his with equal skill to grunge, rock, pop, ballads, and even a bit of country and western, John Shuttleworth thrilled his audience with such classics as "Two Margarines", "Pigeons in Flight", and "Can't Go Back (To Savoury Now)". John is well-known as a radio-personality, and musical entertainer with a full diary of live dates. The week before the Stirling date he told us that his agent Ken Worthington ("TV's Mr Clarinet Man"), had got him a gig in a hospice where he encouraged the residents to join in the songs and do the actions too - "which really seemed to take their minds of their problems". Less well known is that Shuttleworth is also an actor, and his acting masterclass midway through the show was a showcase for his prodigious talent.

The on-stage antics of Mr Shuttleworth were absolutely hilarious. Almost as funny was watching the reactions of the people with us. While some of the group were in hysterics, and a few others wore wry amused grins throughout the show - one member of our party sat in wide-eyed, open-mouthed incomprehension for its entire duration. This in itself was pricelessly amusing.

This was a fabulous night, of very funny comedy, through the quite brilliantly observed and performed persona of John Shuttleworth. Graham Fellows is a genius - I haven't laughed so much for ages.


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