Candace Bushnell : ‘True Tales of Sex, Success and SEX AND THE CITY’, 4 Stars

Candace Bushnell : ‘True Tales of Sex, Success and SEX AND THE CITY’
London Palladium Wednesday 7 Feb. 2024

The real life Carrie Bradshaw, Candace Bushnell, to bring her one-woman show, ‘True Tales of Sex, Success and SEX AND THE CITY’, to the West End and UK tour.

Entertainers proudly announce the West End premiere and first ever UK tour of Candace Bushnell’s acclaimed one-woman show ‘True Tales of Sex, Success and SEX AND THE CITY’.

The international best-selling novelist – author and creator of TV’s iconic TV drama Sex and the City – takes a whirlwind tour of New York City, sharing her remarkable philosophy through stories of fashion, literature. . . and, of course, sex.

Review by Richard Lambert, 4 Stars

An evening in the company of Candace Bushnell at the Palladium. One of life’s delicious pleasures to enjoy if you’re lucky enough to live in London. Like Candace’s auot-biographical monologue, many of us in the audience can relate to the high cost of living, arriving and living on floor mattresses, financially struggling to survive and then, for some of the lucky, a career breakthrough.

Her life story is empowering and inspirational. Surrounded by what looks to be an entire content of the local IKEA warehouse and-colourful flanked downstage by an array of shoes, this techni-colourful set perfectly stylises an imagined New York apartment.  A rather bougie curved back sofa recliner centre stage, and a beautifully crafted symmetrical but non-liner lighting rig, add to the opulence for a lady of style, wit and sophistication.

Lighting designer Tye Connolly once again shines as the hidden little treasure behind Entertainers UK. What he can do in a one-day load-in and concert is brilliant. With a large projection screen to avoid washing out and a rather fancy white cyc giving more depth the tech have filled the large stage of the Palladium in a manner that could otherwise be a trip hazard for a one-person show.

Candace’s delivery is flawless. Her patter showing the experience she gained doing this show for 12 weeks at the off-Broadway Daryl Roth Theatre in New York City. However, this is a show of class and perhaps a little more juicy revelations would have helped add a little spice to an otherwise delightful evening. After all, it is the British who invented the saucy seaside postcards and the Carry On films empire.

To transfer from there to the London Palladium to kick-off a UK tour is brilliant producing from James Taylor of Entertainers. Their brand-new Canvey Island HQ, built since lockdown, houses all aspects of production from set building and maintenance to a recording studio and full-size rehearsal space and fleet of over 50 vehicles. Promoting over 2,000 performances each year and selling over one million seats for more than 30 lavish productions that include: ‘Lost in Music’, ‘Fastlove’, ‘The Magic of Motown’, ‘Cirque: The Greatest Show’, ‘The Makings of a Murderer’, Thank You for the Music’, ‘The Rocket Man’, ‘An Evening of Burlesque’, ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’, ‘80s Live!’, ‘The Marvin Gaye Songbook’ and more.

UK Tour dates
Friday 2 February Southampton Mayflower

Saturday 3 February Nottingham Concert Hall

Sunday 4 February Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre

Tuesday 6 February Manchester Opera House

Friday 9 February Glasgow Kings Theatre

Saturday 10 February Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Sunday 11 February Birmingham Symphony Hall

Monday 12 February Oxford New Theatre

Wednesday 14 February Brighton Dome

Thursday 15 February Leicester De Montfort Hall

Sunday 18 February Southend Cliffs Pavilion

Friday 9 February Glasgow King’s Theatre

Saturday 10 February Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Sunday 11 February Birmingham Symphony Hall

Monday 12 February Oxford New Theatre

Friday February 16 Canterbury Marlowe Theatre

Tickets: http://candacebushnell.entertainers.co.uk/