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Sweet Dreams: Songs by Annie Lennox

Michael Griffiths charms as the Eurthymics singer
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Sweet Dreams: Songs by Annie Lennox

Michael Griffiths charms as the Eurthymics singer

It's just as well Michael Griffiths is so charming. At this mid-week performance, he seems a little thrown by how quiet the audience are being, but glosses over any awkward silences just by being his sweet, on-stage self. It's a temporary blip though, and once warmed up it's hard to keep this crowd from singing along with every Annie Lennox classic he belts out.

Previously, Griffiths has taken on the persona of Madonna. But in this show – which won the Adelaide Fringe Award for Best Cabaret – he becomes his true idol, the Aberdeen-born singer of the Eurythmics. It's a loose depiction: Griffiths doesn't dress up, nor does he (thankfully) attempt an accent. Instead, he sits behind his keyboard, telling the partial story of Lennox's life from her perspective and singing his own renditions of a medley of songs, from a heartbreaking take on 'Walking on Broken Glass' to a rousing 'Thorn in My Side', in which the audience plays backing vocals.

Griffiths' adoration for the singer is palpable but Sweet Dreams needs a little more dynamism and movement to keep us fully engaged over the hour. A later evening slot might also have helped coax this typically reticent British crowd into singing along with more abandon a little earlier in the show. It's a must for Annie Lennox and Eurthymics fans, but there's still plenty to like here even if you're not one.

Assembly George Square, 0131 623 3030, until 31 Aug, 6pm, £10–£12.

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