Quirky and undefinable, all the faffing about with props and paraphernalia between the songs would have been beyond the tolerance of most regular patrons of live entertainment, used to slick scene transitions, or otherwise longer ones covered by some inter-scene music. The silences, at first, were awkward, but as Michaela Betts and Colm Molloy beavered away, the audience quickly settled in.
Mind you, watching the setup for each group of songs was a source of fascination in itself. The creative juices this duo possesses are considerable, to say the least. This was definitely not a gig that could ever have been devised with the assistance of artificial intelligence of any kind – it was too heartfelt and too eclectic for that.
Some of the song choices were relatively obscure, but this was mixed in with material from familiar names such as Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell and Stephen Sondheim. Themed around midsummer, some of the lyrics about stifling heat proved very apt at the tail end of a heatwave affecting much of Western Europe.
With some assistance from special guests – introduced to the audience, of course, but as far as I understand it, they were not actually on the show’s billing, so I will keep faith with the production on that point – the sheer number of musical instruments deployed throughout the evening was highly impressive. Given that most shows I’ve seen over the years at this venue preferred to use just the grand piano on stage, it was, if anything, a pleasant departure from the norm.
In a way it was like watching a variety show, except all the various sections were performed by the same dynamic duo. Theirs is, perhaps, an acquired taste, and it was one of those shows where one needn’t worry if a song being performed wasn’t one’s cup of (iced) tea, because something very, very different will be along shortly.
So yes, there was something for almost everyone in this rollercoaster performance, best enjoyed by sitting back and letting proceedings wash over you. Hearing songs in multiple languages was an added bonus to this wide-ranging and eye-opening experience.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Featuring some of singer-songwriter Michaela Betts and composer-pianist Colm Molloy’s favourite summer-infused songs, expect to hear everything from ABBA, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, and songs from classic musical theatre by Stephen Sondheim and more, whilst they juggle their way through more musical instruments than they can count.
And that’s not all! As fans of the supernatural and mystical, Michaela and Colm have dusted off some Swedish and Irish folk songs for the season, paying homage to their Viking and Celtic roots. There may even be a couple of guests on unconventional instruments.
MIDSUMMER MAGIC (& FOLK FROLICS)
Crazy Coqs
26 June 2026
