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Precious is a new-style weepie but one that is much more bracing than depressing
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Ian McKellen is captivating throughout. He delights in the play’s gallows humour, yet is also maudlin and poignant
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Slight quibbles notwithstanding, this will set the West End’s stock riding high
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Utterly, utterly brilliant. You really are in for a treat
Though 'Trilogy' has won rave reviews, I personally found myself exasperated after about an hour
We went on a quiet sunday evening and the food was excellent, but the experience let down by the service and ambiance
London,
David Smyth's rating
Reader rating
Description: The award-winning actor and musician performs bluegrass with this band The Steep Canyon Rangers.
Phone: 0871663 2500
Website: www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Trains: Tube: Waterloo 
Extra info: Food, Telephones, Air Conditioning, Pub
A lifelong love affair: Steve Martin cracked jokes between his self-penned songs
To the casual observer, the idea of Steve Martin taking over a major London cultural institution to play self-penned songs on the banjo might be funnier than most of the comic actor’s recent movies.
That’s because not many are aware that Martin’s relationship with his banjo, like Woody Allen’s with his clarinet, is not an indulgent hobby but a lifelong love affair. Having first picked one up over 45 years ago, he extended early stand-up gigs with music but later kept the instrument for private use.
Invitations to perform on recent albums by bluegrass favourites Earl Scruggs and Tony Trischka finally gave him the confidence to unveil his own compositions, some decades old, on this year’s album The Crow — winner in the Best Liner Notes category at the International Bluegrass Music Awards but far more enjoyable than such a faint honour suggests.
The comedian clearly takes his songwriting extremely seriously, as proven by blissful, bucolic instrumental Words Unspoken. Thankfully, that didn’t stop him cracking gags between every song. “I’m really combining two of my passions tonight,” he announced. “One: comedy, and two: charging people to hear music.”
Impressively backed and sometimes outshone by North Carolina quintet The Steep Canyon Rangers, Martin’s busy fingers pecked at his strings like hungry hens as he raced through jaunty, vocal-free hoedowns such as Pitkin Country Turnaround and Tin Roof.
Guitarist Woody Platt’s warm voice on tracks including Daddy Played The Banjo saved the music from the potential pitfall of everything sounding too similar to the inexpert ear. Strangely, Platt also sang the beautiful Calico Train, despite the fact that Mary Black sings it on the album and was present as the evening’s support act.
Martin’s occasional vocal efforts were best forgotten, though he wisely stuck to sillier songs such as Late For School and spoof spiritual Atheists Don’t Have No Songs, plus a surprise encore of his 1978 novelty hit King Tut.
Fiddler Nicky Sanders also shone, using his instrument to impersonate a dog on Wally On The Run and playing until the hairs were hanging from his bow during bluegrass classic Orange Blossom Special. Martin seemed proud to be in the Rangers’ company and they in his, by no means carrying a man who makes no claims towards virtuosity.
An exceptionally enthusiastic audience applauded everything, songs and jokes alike. For both aspects of his performance, Martin fully deserved such appreciation.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
