Cosied up in a candle lit bar, while the night away with the crooning tales of five independent black singers of 1920s Harlem. HMS PopUp Productions‘ A Saucy Little Secret is an outstanding show: interesting, funny, touching and punctuated by wonderful blues tunes. Written by Melanie Bainbridge and directed by Harry Deluxe (who also stars in the piece) the performance follows the lives of five successful blues singers from their difficult starts to their whirlwind success and for some, to their downfall. Accompanied by a very talented five piece band, the show enchants just as much as it excites with poignant moments mixed among overt sexuality.
Each of the five women have their moment to shine, sharing their story in a unique but memorable way. Paula Parore is Ma Rainey, the mother of the blues. Seranading the audience with drunken cackles and wild tales of success, Parore is captivating with a deep powerful voice that will send shivers down your spine. Bar a minor slip of character that seemed to stretch on just a moment too long as Parore lost her place, she tends to sustain a strong character as she details her tough beginnings and how she truly influenced the birth of the Harlem Renaissance.
Libby Hammer as Bessie Smith immediately enthralls the audience, reeling among them with an aggressive forwardness that so defines her character. Chatting with audience members, Hammer portrays a strong woman from a difficult childhood, determined to make her mark with a fierce competitive edge. Blasting the house down with a voice drenched in power, Hammer truly embodies the Bessie Smith that went down in blues legends. Both Ma Rainey and Bessie speak of their lovers (each other included) in a candid way so unusual for the decade but accepted in the small pocket of Harlem, showing it for the truly unique place it was.
Ofa Fotu as Gladys Bentley is next, a revolutionary figure in the LGBT community, the first cross-dressing performing woman who openly identified as a lesbian. With a gravelly, deep throated voice, Fotu is astounding as both a singer and an actor – leaving the audience laughing uncontrollably at one moment, then pensive and empathetic at the next.
Natalie Gillespie as Ethel Waters and Harry Deluxe as Alberta Hunters finish the show, both telling stories of determined success from abusive and heart-breaking beginnings. Gillespie is the sauciest of all, holding the audience in her palm as she croons with a soft smile and swaying hips. Deluxe is heart-rendering as an eleven year old Alberta and a triumph as the same woman of 82 years old.
The band support the powerful performances throughout and almost steal the show at opportune moments with some impressive solos by pianist Jonathan Fernandes and bassist Almore James. Robert Bresland on the trumpet is particularly of note, rightfully owning the spotlight in his times to shine with fabulous blues tunes.
Overall the performance of both musicians and artists is admirable, complemented well by the choice of a blues club style bar and held together by the host for the evening, played by Pippa Bainbridge. Stage craft is perfectly suited to the era, with feathers, sequins, drop-waist skirts and flapper dresses, as well as mood lighting, a following spot and projected scenes. Unfortunately, the projected sets crafted by Jenna Downing are difficult to make out and only in low light do they add much to the scene: most of the time they are too obscured by light to be appreciated.
A Saucy Little Secret is truly an amazing piece written by Melanie Bainbridge that really comes alive through the impressive renditions and acting of its cast, and the music of the wonderful band. As an homage to these great women of blues history, it is a thorough success.
