EVE FERRET, PIMLICO PATE

Eve Ferret: Pimlico Paté

at the St James Theatre Studio

Larger than life is one way of describing this woman. She is all heart, all soul. She is out to give us a great time and boy does she deliver. With her signature peignoirs, her huge piled up red hair – no one else ever had hair that big. Her exceptional vocal quality – and her voluptuosity (my own word) she is a completely unique presence. A one off.

Being with Eve is like sinking into a lovely warm bubble bath. Cares all gone, just enjoy. So much delight, so much laughter, so much pathos. All unexpected. For instance – St Louis Blues – fantastic. especially with the trick ending. We were carried along with the magic of her wonderful throbbing blues voice, and then, after the build up, we were almost in tears …an insanely crazy event at the end. SO FUNNY. I’ll say no more – her comedy is impossible to describe. Surreal and yet seemingly completely spontaneous. The Salvador Dali of Cabaret. Her material is mostly written by herself and full of her own witty lyrics. Her parody on ‘The Thing that Got Away’ is hilarious and so is the description of herself as ‘Last night’s Pate’. A phrase we have to learn and perform with her as she tells stories of her ridiculous love life. ‘Congratulations, you Got me’ a torch song like no other sung with passion and heartbreak. ‘I love my peignoir’ is performed to a pink peignoir on a pole. And one of my favourites. ‘It’s never over till it’s over’

She describes herself in one of her songs ‘The Pimlico Belle;. She said at her performance at the St James’s last March.

“Born a mile away from the theatre, who knew from playing on bombsites down the road, that one day I would sing in this glorious theatre and launch an EP ’.

Eve has been billed as ‘One of the most original performers on stage today’. And beloved of the critics who say, ‘The incomparable Eve Ferret you have to see it to believe it. Musical Theatre Review.com‘She could be compared to Bette, Ella or Peggy but in truth she is Eve Ferret the one and only’ LondonTheatre1.com

Much of her lyrics are put into musical form by her guitarist/composer who was unable to be with her on this occasion. But on stage is a great blues piano player Johnny Miller. He follows Eve perfectly – not an easy thing to do. Not content with just backing her up on the St James’s grand piano, he accompanies her on the pencil. Now there’s a rarity.

I say this to one and all – if you ever get a chance to see this lady perform, grab it with both hands. She is a marvel.

aline waites

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