Miss Hope Springs paid a rare visit to Brighton last Friday (September 30) to raise money for the Sussex Cancer Fund – treating the sold out audience to a touch of class!
The Nightingale Room above Grand Central opposite Brighton Station proved the perfect venue to showcase the talents of this unique performer. Its salon surroundings successfully recreated the atmosphere of a small Las Vegas lounge bar for the evening.
Ex-Las Vegas nightclub chanteuse Hope Springs chatted and sang her way through a unique repertoire of original material ranging from the powerful torch songs She’s his world and Carnival to the jazzy The devil made me do it, from the comic Bagels and Please don’t desert us at dessert to the hauntingly beautiful and my personal favourite number of the evening All the fun of the fair.
Composer, lyricist, pianist and comic actor Ty Jeffries (son of the late British screen character actor Lionel Jeffries) is the man behind the character. However, Miss Hope Springs is much more than a drag act and fits smoothly into the ground created by the great American gender illusionist Jim Bailey; she inhabits the role she has created.
Every movement of the lips, every raised eyebrow, every sideways glance and sneer is executed with precision to accentuate the lyric or melody while at times her eyes take control of the performance pulling you further into the storyline. It was mesmerising.
Often in small rooms it can feel uncomfortable to be close up to the artist. No such problem here; sitting close to the performer ensured you did not miss a single nuance of this very sophisticated performance.
Despite Hope’s hard luck story, she is a survivor and has the unique ability to convey pathos and joy in her music which at times is remarkably uplifting. A fine, accomplished pianist, Hope played the piano side-saddle for most of the night.
The quality of her voice is ravishing, gravelly at the bottom, gin and tonic in her chest and open and round at the top.
If she has not experienced it she will have an anecdote about someone who has. The Pink Pelican Casino’s loss was our gain!
Miss Hope Springs was accompanied on bass by Nigel Thomas and Sam Glasson on drums. The evening was directed and staged by Carole Todd whose classic lighting of the performer added that extra touch of class to the evening which was organised by Danny Dwyer and Bear-Patrol and raised £900 for the Sussex Cancer Fund.
For more information about Miss Hope Springs, click here:
You can catch Hope in her Christmas Show at the Nightingale Room on December 14.
To book tickets online, click here:
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