Movin' Melvin Brown (Bath Chronicle Review)

The Mission Theatre

To pull off a one man show is a hefty task, but it is one which the charismatic Movin’ Melvin Brown achieves effortlessly. In one night he takes the audience on a journey that has taken him 65 years. He tells us stories of his life and loves, intertwining this story with the history of black music. He sings not only the songs which illustrate the key moments of his life, but also those which get the audience tapping their feet and clapping along. His impersonation of his local minister was a particular highlight.

But Movin’ Melvin Brown is not only a singer, he is also an extraordinary tap dancer, dancing his way from Chubby Checker to Michael Jackson. He is a comedian and his anecdotes of time in the army and touring on the road, lend themselves to some wonderful jokes that had the entire audience smiling a smile that could almost rival that of Melvin’s himself.

But Melvin is more than just music. Melvin is a man with a mission and a message. He may entertain in a good old fashioned way, but his message is about the modern world that we live in...

Movin’ Melvin Brown was on at the Mission Theatre from 28^th May to the 5^th June 2001

This review was published in the Bath Chronicle on the 3^rd June 2010.