Monday 04 March 2024.

Monday 04 March 2024. SOOSHI MANGO live at Shepherds Bush Empire. Sooshi Mango is an Australian comedy troupe founded in 2015. The group consists of two brothers, Joe and Carlo Salanitri, and their best friend, Andrew Manfre. Sooshi Mango is best known for their comedy skits, acts, videos, series and live shows, paying homage to their experiences growing up in an Italian family, and around Italians, Greeks, Croats, and other ethnic cultures living in Australia. The comedic influences of the group include Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, Benny Hill and many more. Being most strongly inspired by their European ancestry, their content is commonly rooted in humorously depicting the Italian and Greek ethnic and cultural diaspora and their role in Australian society, and its racial prejudice and social mechanisms of the modern-day world. This is the first of two shows at this venue. --------- It is stalls seated tonight , pretty full but not sold out. Maybe 800 tix sold out of the 1000 capacity. Mainly Aussies here, but also Italians and English . The show was on for two hours over two sets. There is a big screen to show some of their video clips. Brothers Joe and Carlo Salanitri along with best friend, Andrew Manfre created Sooshi Mango to honour and keep the memory alive of their parents as well as the European immigrants of the 50’s and 60’s. Coming to a new country not knowing the language and trying to establish a new life makes for lots of challenging and funny stories. The lads from Sooshi Mango have taken all those and rolled them into one funny comedy show in Off The Boat! All the well-loved characters made an appearance. How can you not love Sam, Vince and Johnny? We go back in time, forty years ago to learn how the three paesano’s met and became friends. Going back in time to also meet the young Greeks Stavros, Tasso and Kosta and the three ‘bella’s’ Carmela, Angela and Guiseppina was also hilarious. The animated black and white silent films have all the comedy vibes of a Laurel and Hardy or Charlie Chaplin skit. Sooshi Mango have perfected the art of slapstick comedy and it highlights their comedic timing and abilities. The show takes us from yester-year to today where we find out what the characters, after a lifetime in Australia, are up to in 2022. There are court room dramas, crazy fiss and tsip shop (Fish and Chip Shop) antics as well as trying to get a bird cage up a tree. Oh, and tomatoes. There’s always an argument about who has the biggest tomatoes in their garden! The highlights for me were their two comedy lyrics and dance routines for Bon Jovi's 'Livin' On A Prayer' at the end of the first set , and a Jersey Boys aka The Greasy Boys making an appearance. They sing parody of classic songs like Left Home and Mum Cried (Big Girls Don’t Cry by The Four Seasons) and Frankie Valli’s Oh What A Night (Marrying a Skip). The Sooshi Mango lads have created Off The Boat with music, lights and slapstick into a well-crafted comedy show. They’ve taken their life experiences and turned them into hilarious sketches. An enjoyable show. ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- Saturday 02 March 2024....6.30pm to 9pm... THE LANSDOWNE CLUB - showcase - 9 Fitzmaurice Place, Mayfair , London W1. With a rich heritage dating back to 1763, The Lansdowne Club re-imagined itself as a leading private members’ club in 1935 and has welcomed men and women with equal status ever since. An eclectic mix of the historic and the contemporary, the Club boasts stylish décor and exquisite art, underpinned by seamless service provided by our knowledgeable team who will always go that extra mile. Standing discreetly at the south-west corner of London's Berkeley Square, The Lansdowne Club is ideally located in the heart of London's West End. The Club offers a friendly, welcoming and lively social scene. With wine tastings and gourmet evenings; art, music and cultural events; balls and parties as well as networking events, you’ll never be short of wonderful activities to attend. With a diverse range of food and drink options – from the elegant Art-Deco Dining Room and our al fresco Courtyard, to the historical but contemporary Round Room Cocktail Bar – we have a destination for every occasion. We also offer a variety of active interest groups, from the arts, debating and singing, to dancing, gardening and bridge. There’s truly something for everyone to enjoy at the Club. It also has over 50 rooms for overnight stays. ------- Walked past this venue hundreds of times of the years, but this is my first visit back since 2014 , when I went to a book launch. Like a Tardis, it is massive once you get inside the doors. There is a violinist playing tunes in the background. There are half a dozen upmarket fashion stands showcasing. Including made to measure suits, nice ball gowns and Macaro of Whitcomb Street who supply singer Gregory Porter with his luxury bow ties. Complimentary Collet champers , mojitos , Hindleap English Sparkling Wine and canapes.

Posted 3rd March 2024