The challenge with a one-woman show is that, not only is it your sole task to keep the audience fully engaged and entertained, but there’s nowhere to hide. And it’s a challenge I couldn’t help but think of watching Divinely Bette.
The task of singing, acting and dancing is a massive ask and it felt like it may all have been a little too much for Kim Sheard’s talents. Especially when trying to fill the shoes of a personality as massiver and vivacious as Bette Midler. And, unfortunately for Miss Sheard, especially when performing to a small audience, for whom many, the humour of the show seemed lost.
That’s not to say that she didn’t perform well in places. Her characterisation of Bette, in particular, was a fitting tribute and there were some funny moments during the stories she told. I also couldn’t help but warm to her stage presence as she winked and flirted with the audience.
Unfortunately, although her dancing was performed with the timing of one clearly trained at stage school, it failed to light up the stage and looked far more suited to a chorus line. And although her voice had some quality to it, it’s not easy to belt it like Bette. Sheard committed fully but, faced with some big, big notes she fell off the top of her range on more than one occasion and sounded off key on others.
I'll admit that, with little knowledge of Bette Midler, I didn’t recognise many of the songs and some of the ones I did know weren’t done justice. However, I couldn’t decide whether it would have been a benefit or a hindrance to have been a bigger fan as some lovers of Bette may not have been impressed by the lacking vocals. But then a one-woman show, particularly this woman, is a particularly difficult challenge.
