haunting notes, Pizzicato strings
Posted on 23rd November 2025
The early eighties will be forever known as the era of big hair, shoulder pads, legwarmers, New Romantic synth pop, MTV, brick-sized mobile phones and the romance of the century. Though some may judge that to have Reagan and Thatcher, for most it was Charles and Diana, at least until it went horribly wrong. Charles & Diana: The Reunion Tour imagined things eventually going hilariously right as the royal couple patch up their differences to celebrate the decade that they made their own.
The Corn Hall’s celebration of the 80s kicked off with perhaps intended poignancy – it was often hard to tell – with Russell Lucas as our Charles for the night belting out Ultravox’s Vienna. For Charles, “the feeling has gone, it means nothing to me” has never meant quite the same. It was the start of a playful evening that combined glitterball glitz with knockabout physical comedy. They dragged the audience – albeit willingly – along for the ride as hand-waving singalongs were not just encouraged, but were proved to be mandatory. Tracy Collins, playing Diana for the evening, was suitably coquettish with gents in the audience – ” is that top from C&A, sir” – before launching into her own repertoire. Both performers clearly have decent singing voices, even if on the night the likes of Madness and Yazoo were beaten into submission with the cudgel of satire.
There were, very occasionally, fleeting moments of substance, such as the faux controversy of Enola Gay’s inclusion. I wonder if, buried deep within the chaotic frenzy on stage, there was a subtext trying to escape. On the other hand, perhaps the photo montage of the real Diana projected onto the screen was nothing more than an a opportunity for Collin to change into her Toyah wig and evening dress. Either way, as the pair weaved through the Cabaret style seating only the foolhardy attempted to resist their charms. They herded the audience, as one might attempt to herd cats, out of their seats and into dance mode, rounding off a joyously silly evening before bidding us a fond farewell.