Barrister turned cabaret performer Nigel Osner has had a busy life. In twenty-five years on the stage (“it sounds better than quarter of a century”) this lively septuagenarian has formed his new show following his near-death experience during heart surgery last year.
Over the course of an hour Osner looks at the songs he has written, the places he has been to become “self-sufficient” and “comfortable” with his ageing self and performs a handful of character-driven monologues.
He tells us of the musicals he wrote – Rock Heaven, with its posturing star and cyborgs, never got produced, but Magic in Ravenswood, a children’s fantasy based on Osner’s own book, did – and his earlier shows, notably Angel to Vampire! which won acclaim at the Buxton Fringe.
In personality, Osner presents as the snake-hipped love child of Noel Coward and Eileen Atkins, an ageing provocateur with sweetness and sleaze. His vocals are powerful and his acting skills excellent, whether bringing a helpful owl to life, with all the mannerisms and movements, or a vamp in the style of a Mae West or Dietrich, or an elderly, exhausted vampire with false fangs.
The owl song, “The November Moon for Owls” is a highlight, making you long for the revival of the musical in full. Rock god Throb’s “Hello Suckers” is fun, while “Too Young to Stay In, Too Old to Go Out” perfectly catches the vagaries of getting on a bit. “Don’t Label Me” is a bit Cockney strut, and a nice little story.
Then there are the monologues, with “The tale of Reverend James” proving a dated satire about a gay vicar and his shocked congregation, “The last shreds of youth” a muse on no longer attracting the bright young things, and “Death isn’t happy” appearing as a non-binary apparition with a Bronx honk.
Composers to which Osner has twinned his lyrics are BB Cooper, Scarlett Deva Antaloczy, Mole, Steve Somerset, and Sammy Fain. He also proves a melodist in his own right (albeit without reading a note of music) in “Don’t Label Me” and “There’s Only Me to Love”.
Osner is a performer who quickly connects with an audience, and with an intimate venue and a small crowd, Still Ticking! soon finds its way into your heart. He also proves that you can change course and follow what is the right path for you late in life, and make it work.
Nigel Osner’s Still Ticking was at the Etcetera Theatre in Camden on 16th October 2022. For more information on Osner and future shows go to www.nigelosner.com
Reviewer: Louise Penn
Reviewed: 17th October 2022
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★