“Yorkshire lass pleases her loyal fans”
Jane McDonald’s tour ‘making memories’ hits the Palace Theatre on a lovely summers evening. The theatre was packed with her extremely loyal fan base, Jane McDonald from Yorkshire rose to fame in 1998 after her appearance on the BBC show ‘The Cruise’ and since then has co-presented a number of daytime shows, including ‘Loose Women’ and ‘Star Treatment’.
For years Jane toured many clubs with her father as a roadie, Jane’s first position was on a cruise ship as a singer and since her career took off in 2006 she has toured in the UK to present date developing a loyal fan base who adore her.
Jane has released several albums, written her autobiography and starred in many West End musicals with the latest role in Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash hits musical ‘CATS’.
Jane throughout has remained down to earth and true to her origins, it is clear that her fans adore her as she constantly interacts with them throughout her shows. Jane aged 53 years old looked fabulous as she graced the stage wearing a black and gold elegant dress, the stage also hosted six talented band members Richard, Jim, John, Jamie, Steve Price and Steve Cooper with two stunning backing singers Gina and Sarah. The backdrop was simple but effective with eight spotlights, Jane’s name in bold and two simple glittery strips creating a true cabaret feeling. 
Jane opened her show singing ‘I’ll Get By With A Little Help From My Friends’ lifting the mood to a frenzy of excitement from her loyal fans as they stood and clapped with appreciation. Jane clearly knows her audience as she makes reference to them and talks about her age and ailments striking a cord with her fans, she also pleases them with shout outs with what seemed an endless chant of “We love you Jane” made it obvious there was a lot of love in the room for this Yorkshire lass. Jane sang a medley of songs which included ‘I Will Not Be Beaten’, ‘The Singer Of Your Song’ and a heartfelt song she wrote for her ex husband in which she sang beautifully as a duet with band member Jim.
Jane lovingly introduces each member throughout the evening and makes reference to their loyalty and talents. It seems that her travelling buddies are her family and friends and they support each other on their travels.
Jane closes the first act with a fantastic tribute to the lovely Cilla Black who died last year with a medley of her songs ‘Step Inside Love’, ‘Anyone Who Had a Heart’ and ‘You’re My World’.
The second act opens with Bond songs, ‘Gold Finger’, ‘Live and Let Die’ and ‘Diamonds Are Forever’, Jane elegantly dressed in a cream sparkly trousers suit hit the money notes perfectly. This act also features Jane’s lifelong friend and PA of seventeen years Susan Ravey singing a stunning duet together ‘The Rose’ signifying their friendship. One of the striking things is Jane sings so heartfelt and pours so much emotion into her songs, that the audience and not left disappointed as she has them singing and dancing in the aisles.
The show has a clear nostalgic disco feel with lots of toe tapping cover songs as well as her own material.
Jane finishes evening off with another beautiful song that she wrote for her mother ‘The Hand That Leads Me’ and in true Jane McDonald style the evening closed with her wearing the most beautiful black ball gown singing ‘Memory’ which left the audience on a high and hungry for more.
Jane is a fantastic performer who clearly is making memories on her tour for her fans, so she should be congratulated on her success and be pleased that she is doing such a great job in the entertainment world.
This show isn't for everyone but it clearly is a great evening of lighthearted fun with a stunning lady. Well done to all involved.
Reviewer: Katie Leicester
Reviewed: 10th September 2016
North West End Rating: ★★★
