HAVANA RUMBA! RIVERSIDE STUDIOS, LONDON
Havana Rumba, Riverside Studios, London Riverside Studios have brought over to London a group of Cuban dancers, musicians and singers but possibly at an inopportune moment given the backdrop of the economic crisis. Still this is a moment as well for the press since it was brought over too to the Riverside Studios en masse last night clearly to support this premiere. The production was a typical Riverside Studios effort, with aspects of competence unsupported crucially by the choreography, for instance, and then by unfortunate bleeps and blarts emitted by the PA system. Of course the production was corny, but it was meant to be and perhaps some of the more embarrassing moments, such as the knife throwing, might have been deleted. But overall this was a tremendous fun event and I don't wish to be too critical, since it was intense and enjoyable, well worth seeing, supporting and the performers deserve to be supported as well. Paul Murphy