Morning:
14°c
Some fares could fall by more than a third when Oyster is extended to every national rail station in London, it has emerged
More...
New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Theatre
A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion
Cock
Restaurants
Kitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave
Kitchen W8
Too long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effects
This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws
Alex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factor
London,
John Aizlewood's rating
Reader rating
Description: A solo show by the singer-songwriter.
Phone: 0870060 6628
Website: www.oldvictheatre.com
Trains: Tube/BR: Waterloo 
Opening hours: In Person, Mon-Fri 10am-7.30pm
Extra info: Pub, Food
Rufus Wainwright: camper than an entire field of tents - and sensational too
If there is anything more gay than a 33-year old man singing Judy Garland's Foggy Day dressed in lederhosen, it is that same man grappling with Garland's Get Happy! in full drag, surrounded by seven male non-dancers attempting a cheerily shambolic approximation of the song's original choreography in the Summer Stock musical. Rufus Wainwright offered both and during Get Happy! his microjacket revealed a pair of frankly fantastic legs.
For all his camp (another costume change had him in a dressing gown), Wainwright is much more than, as his closing song had it, the Gay Messiah or an upmarket Julian Clary.
For two hours across two magical sets he displayed the remarkable gift of switching moods from laugh-out-loud silly (a discourse on a Magellan belt clip; pondering Killers singer Brandon Flowers's response to his tribute Tulsa, "Not a note, not a word"), to the hushed intimacy of the hopelessly romantic Tiergarten and the crushed dreams of Slideshow.
The knowingly charismatic Wainwright and his multi-tasking, supertight band (the very same septet who danced so marvellously badly to Get Happy!), cruised through all his second album Release The Stars, Noel Coward's stately If Love Were All and catalogue picks such as the stomach-tighteningly operatic Beautiful Child, a mesmeric 14th Street, during which the band gradually sauntered off stage leaving only Jack Petruzzelli strumming a banjo, and that most stern of Irish traditional airs, Macushla.
Most exhilarating of all was the somewhat more earthy Between My Legs, which not only involved a Phantom Of The Opera-esque climax, but a sterling cameo from uber-luvvy actress Frances De La Tour taking Sian Phillips's recorded part.
Even the former Miss Jones, though, could not hijack Wainwright's spotlight. He was sensational and he's at the Old Vic until Thursday. Sell a relative to get a ticket.
• Until 31 May. Information: 0870 0606628.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
[ 1 ] [ 2 ]
I actually saw the same show in Bristol a few days ago and was equally taken aback by the utter showmanship of the man. It was the third time I'd seen Rufus play and while I'm not completely won over by the new album - when played live the tracks complement pieces from the previous albums excellently. I'm slightly concerned however about the tendency for reviewers to make so much of his sexuality. Rufus can be very camp indeed and it's easy to focus on that when digesting his perfomance. I'd argue that he is simply driven by an anything goes attitude, brilliant musician-ship (check out Tulsa on the new album) and a rare sense of humour that comes across so well to the audience. When he camps it up you really know about it and when he's being Judy - he's just being Judy!
- Danielle Treanor, Leeds, UK
I went to Rufus Wainwright's concert at the Old Vic last night, and it was mesmerizing! He is such a talented singer/songwriter, and had the audience in the palm of his hand. His versatility was amazing, from the performance of some of Judy garland's songs, to his own work, including his latest album. He seems to be finally getting the recognition he richly deserves. I am so glad to see it!
- Diana Partridge, Northwich, Cheshire.
