The trouble with rhinestone cowgirl pastiche Tina C is that the songs never quite live up to the titles. The lip-quiveringly ironic power ballads are witty, but the clever, tragicomic titles are even wittier. A particular favourite mentioned in passing in this tinsel-sprinkled seasonal show is If You Can't Live Without Me Why Weren't You Dead When I Met You?
Drag artist Chris Green's unfeasibly leggy creation explained her Xmas connections. The Virgin Mary was white trash, just like her sister Donny Marie. Proof ? Her donkey was typically trashy inferior transport. Then again, Jesus's mother is all things to all comedians. Hubby not the dad? Sounds like Vicky Pollard to me.
Between hit-and-miss Yuletide yodelling, including a muscular pro-death penalty interpretation of Silent Night, there was uneven satirical patter. The gold-frocked redneck crooner has done country, now she has gone global and has something to say on everything from Australian gay marriages to troops in "Eye-Rack" to the Palestinian conflict involving "Fatter and Ham-Ass".
Frustratingly though, the impressive ingredients never quite gelled. The medium-sized audience rattling around this major-sized temporary venue hardly helped. It was only during a full-on encore of Dolly P's 9 to 5, with rap, dance and foregrounded politics that Tina really clocked on. Nice to end on a high, it would have been nicer to be on a high throughout.
Tonight (0845 094 2996).
Reindeer Theatre Season: Tina C: Par Rum Pa Pum Pum
Reindeer Theatre, Old Truman Brewery
Brick Lane, E1 6QL
