Everyone here at Eastern Angles is looking forward to welcoming Team Shuff and Byng for their work in progress sharing on Thursday 19 June (get your pay what you can tickets here).
"In their radically different ways, Shuff & Byng were stars of the first magnitude - their comic genius was something else.”
Last Monday, cast members Dusty Limits and Kinny Gardner were on BBC Radio Essex talking all things Shuff & Byng with Rob Jelly! Fast forward to 10.15am to listen back to the pair.
The team have already been working on the show – including a visit to work with Eastern Angles own Third Act group. During that session we heard two songs – Douglas Byng’s Cabaret Boys and Cole Porter’s Miss Otis Regrets.
"Full of pathos and jam packed with material from these two very different performers. I was intrigued and can't wait to see how this fascinating subject transforms into a stage production."
Although we don’t have footage of the company performing those songs with us, here they are performing them at The Outhouse – a fantastic charity providing vital opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community throughout Essex. First up is a mobile phone recording featuring Tony Lidington, Kinny Gardner, and Billie Bottle performing Cabaret Boys.
“A fun and fascinating couple of hours in the company of the Shuff and Byng project makers, where we explored the origins of the drag queen from gang show to music hall acts. Kinny Gardners' interpretation of Cole Porter's "Miss Otis Regrets" was both funny and thought provoking. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the finished production.”
And here is Kinny singing “Miss Otis Regrets”, accompanied by Billie recorded using a zoom recorder.
(Fun fact: “Miss Otis Regrets” was famously first sung by Douglas Byng in the 1934 revue Hey Diddle Diddle!)
“I loved everything about the session-in particular the duet at the end, which was sheer joy! I've written my own little blurb, (for what it's worth!) Shuff and Byng come back to life in this glorious musical production. Grab a ticket while you can -the show's exquisite combination of sensitivity and fun make for a truly joyful piece of theatre.”
Do listen back to Dusty and Kinny chatting all things Shuff and Byng with Rob Jelly and listen to these fabulous songs – but, most important of all, be among the first to see the team share where they have got to with an audience for the first time at The Studio @ EA this June. And if you would like to keep up to date with Shuff and Byng do have a look, and subscribe, to their project blog.
