Review: Ivy Paige: Seduction

Ivy Paige's show harks back to old school cabaret with breathy vocals, tonnes of sequins and a healthy dose of cleavage. The name of the game is 'edutainment': Paige has kindly offered to pass on her seduction skills to the crowd. 

She's quick to point out that to seduce is to "lead one astray" and it's in the tangents of her set that Paige proves herself a really entertaining performer. The show itself is a nice if not particularly memorable affair but where Paige sparkles is her audience interaction. Her matter-of-fact quips undercut her brassy, sultry singing – making for a hilarious contrast of diva and good-time girl. 

Not to be upstaged by her audience volunteers, Paige is happy to up the ante and clamber through the crowd for the right punchline. It does mean that her standalone ballads feel static in comparison.

Paige's voice best suits a hauntingly beautiful ballad, her hair wild as a siren's: clearly she can manage some shape shifting to change the mood of the show as she wishes. However, it can kill the energy in the crowd after her more raucous musical numbers. The set order creates an inconsistent mood but Paige keeps us enthralled regardless.

Paige's talents are well established (she appeared on The Voice earlier this year) and her audience interaction a highlight. She establishes herself a welcome presence in cabaret and with time will be a force to be reckoned with.