Barb Jungr & Dillie Keane: Two Turtle Doves
Rating: ★★★★
Venue: Crazy Coqs, London

Join two of international cabaret’s grandest dames, Dillie Keane and Barb Jungr, as they jump giblets first into the festive season. In 2021 these two giants joined forces for the first time ever to perform side-by-side and proved that this is an evening not to be mistletoed.

Featuring songs by Tom Waits, Ray Davies, John Legend and a hilarious take on The Twelve Days of Christmas, among many more, this is not your standard Christmas fare. You will want second helpings of this pudding for sure.

While Friday the 13th proves an unlucky day for some, you certainly won't be feeling that way if you were there to witness the pairing of Barb Jungr and Dillie Keane for their show, Two Turtle Doves. As the name suggests. the 75 minute concert was filled with Christmas songs that we all know and love. As well as some hits that are both underrated and underutilised throughout the festive season.

Crazy Coqs proved the perfect venue for such a show, providing a vintage aesthetic for a duo of leading ladies. Having said that, due to the evening being sold out, it felt significantly more cramped than my past visits which did hinder the experience slightly. However, a classy venue for two of the most talented performers. 

The evening was full of wit, humour and flew by in the blink of an eye. Standout numbers from the evening included Keane's wickedly funny rendition of the Christmas classic, the 12 Days of Christmas and Jungr's breath-taking version of Must Be Santa, originally recorded by Bob Dylan.

A mention must also go to Sarah Travis who was our pianist for the evening. It was clear to see why she's Tony award-winning and she enabled the evening to run as smoothly as possible with her incredible talent, as well as a surprisingly lovely voice.

What's clear from the evening is that both Jungr and Keane love what they do and are both still very much at the peak of what they can do. Surprisingly funny and brimming with talent. While the location is an iconic one, I feel a slightly bigger venue would be more suited for a show that's clearly in such high demand.

You can find out more about Two Turtle Doves, here.