I was not particularly looking forward to a night alone with George Gershwin. Of course, few wouldn't fall for Porgy and Bess and songs such as Embraceable You, I Got Rhythm and They Can't Take That Away From Me. But I prefer Sondheim. And one-man shows, particularly when they hail from the US, often turn out to be starry-eyed love-fests full of show-biz anecdotes.
Not this one. Until he makes the mistake of extending the evening by an unnecessary 15 minutes for a mass singalong of the kind that cannot have been seen in London among consenting adults since the Blitz, Hershey Felder's show is a model of integrity and interest. Unlike so much theatre about famous artists in any field, this is less about the celebrity and more about the work. Here there is less love life and more music, including Rhapsody in Blue. More than anything this resembles a dramatic masterclass in Gershwin's music, angled so it satisfies Gershwin fans and people like me who think that Let's Call the Whole Thing Off is fun, but not as essential as Wonderwall.
Felder, an attractive presence, plays the piano beautifully and sends you out into the night knowing not only more about Gershwin's music but more about the art of composing in general. It is a very pleasant little show, and although it may well sit better in a concert venue than a West End theatre, it does what it does very well without making a song and dance about it.
· Until April 17. Box office: 0870-890 1103.
