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# REVIEW: Overtures and Encores by Actually Gay Men’s Chorus
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/review-overtures-and-encores-by-actually-gay-mens-chorus/
- Published: 2024-06-22T15:28:44.000Z
- Updated: 2024-06-24T08:46:54.000Z
- Description: Brian Butler finds a polished gemstone of a choral evening
- Author: Brian Butler
- Tags: Arts, LGBTQ Choirs, Reviews, Nick Paget, Samuel Cousins

**Samuel Cousins** has led [Actually Gay Men’s Chorus](https://www.actuallygmc.org/?ref=scenemag.co.uk) for eight years and under his tenure they have matured, grown more adventurous and achieved a balanced quality of sound that would be hard to equal.

Their latest offering- *Overtures and Encores* – proves the point in spades. It’s a polished gemstone of a choral evening, concentrating on the transformative nature of musical theatre and giving us hit after hit in a heart-warming and joyful antidote to crappy politics and mundane football.

The range of soloists has markedly increased and Samuel is clever to back up solo sections of songs with a choral ensemble to bolster the singers highlighted. This coupled with outstanding accompaniment from the trio of **Simon Gray, Sam Mileberg** and **Huw Jones.**

The show, at **St Mary’s Kemptown**, kicked off with an electrifying *Wilkommen*, with a scary, smiling Emcee brilliantly delivered by **Tom Slater-Hyndman**. Two more Kander and Ebb classics followed with **Alan Baser** and **Nick Paget** singing *I Don’t Remember You* and *Sometimes A Day Goes By* – a belter of a rendition but with bitter undertones.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/img_5802600.jpg)

Photo Credit Nick Paget

*Til I Hear You Sing*, from Lloyd Webber’s underrated *Love Never Dies* showed Samuel’s total control of the chorus’ light and shade, and Sondheim’s *Being Alive* was brave and triumphant in the hands of **Raymond Bate.** Back to Kander and Ebb, and the terrifying minor chords of *Kiss Of The Spiderwoman* led us to a medley from the problematic musical Dear Evan Hansen.

No problems here though, with **Nick Paget** and **Tom Slater-Hyndman** giving us the haunting You Will Be Found, and the enigmatic Waving Through a Window. Barbershop seems to be largely ignored by choirs but here we got a delightful mash up of *I Got Rhythm*, *Steppin’ Out* and *Top Hat* – maybe a bit of dancing next time fellas?

*Luck be A Lady*, energetically tossed our way by **Chris Phipps** led to the Act One finale of a gender-swapped same sex marriage in Sondheim’s *Not Getting Married Today*, where **Andrew Whitlaw** shone as the crazy bride-now-groom.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/89562981600400.jpg)

Act Two gave us more highlights than I have space to detail in full, but the ensemble shook us to the core with *Bui Doi* and *This Is The Hour* from *Miss Saigon*, and a sub-set of the choir were frighteningly convincing as Mormons in *Hello*.

**Philip Lloyd Davies** and **Andrew Whitlaw** tackled the fiendishly tricky *Agony* with some dexterity and **Ian Hollands** and **Alan Kite** charged forward in the battle-like *Into The Fire* from *Scarlet Pimpernel*.

**Patrick Bullock** was delightfully wicked as King George in the wonderful *Hamilton* song *You’ll Be Back* and mention has to be made of the marvellous top notes from **Thomas Price** in *Nessun Dorma*.

Just a stupendous five-star start to summer music in Brighton.

**More info on the [Actually Gay Men’s Chorus here, via their website.](https://www.actuallygmc.org/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**