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Underbelly Boulevard Soho, London
Cast: Joe Bishop, Alfie French, Cal T. King, Michael Riseley, Jack Whittle and Ollie Wray
Director/Producer: Jo Parsons
Writer/Producer: Emily Wood
Musical directors/arrangers: Harry Style and Ashey Jacobs
Producer: Evolution Productions
Running time: 1 hour 30 (including interval)
Until June 14 in London and touring
For anyone who thought the modern wave of enthusiasm for fishing songs had crested with the lockdown singing postman, “Shantify”, uttered in an awed stage whisper, is here to prove them wrong.
After rave reviews at Edinburgh and a previous West End run, the six shantifiers have bounded onto a Soho stage to add rhythm, swing and virile energy to anything from Beyoncé to “You’ll never walk alone” to the traditional “Blow the Man Down”.
It’s all held together by jokes so cheesy you won’t be able to “Camembert” them, to quote ringleader Jack Whittle.
There is also a tenuous narrative thread involving a reality TV talent contest “Britain’s got Shantify” and Jack switching places in the family boat with his DFL (down from London) brother sung by Joe Bishop.
Better than that, a romantic subplot provides the excuse for six competing shantified proposals to a shell-shocked member of the audience.
But the real momentum is from the perfectly rehearsed harmonies underpinned by Cal T. King’s resonant base.
Perhaps the most telling of the choices for shantification is Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” as a reminder that a grinding day in the office or any kind of work is much more bearable if you leaven it with heart-felt song.
Shantify,
Underbelly Boulevard Soho, London
Cast: Joe Bishop, Alfie French, Cal T. King, Michael Riseley, Jack Whittle and Ollie Wray
Director/Producer: Jo Parsons
Writer/Producer: Emily Wood
Musical directors/arrangers: Harry Style and Ashey Jacobs
Producer: Evolution Productions
Running time: 1 hour 30 (including interval)
Until June 14 in London and touring
For anyone who thought the modern wave of enthusiasm for fishing songs had crested with the lockdown singing postman, “Shantify”, uttered in an awed stage whisper, is here to prove them wrong.
After rave reviews at Edinburgh and a previous West End run, the six shantifiers have bounded onto a Soho stage to add rhythm, swing and virile energy to anything from Beyoncé to “You’ll never walk alone” to the traditional “Blow the Man Down”.
It’s all held together by jokes so cheesy you won’t be able to “Camembert” them, to quote ringleader Jack Whittle.
There is also a tenuous narrative thread involving a reality TV talent contest “Britain’s got Shantify” and Jack switching places in the family boat with his DFL (down from London) brother sung by Joe Bishop.
Better than that, a romantic subplot provides the excuse for six competing shantified proposals to a shell-shocked member of the audience.
But the real momentum is from the perfectly rehearsed harmonies underpinned by Cal T. King’s resonant base.
Perhaps the most telling of the choices for shantification is Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” as a reminder that a grinding day in the office or any kind of work is much more bearable if you leaven it with heart-felt song.
Barbara Lewis © 2026.
By Barbara Lewis • added recently on London Grip, dance, music, musicals, performance, theatre • Tags: Barbara Lewis, music, musicals, performance, theatre