What: Jackson vs. Jackson
Who: Gospo Collective, with the Jones Juniors and the Jones Commentary
When: 16th-25th Feb, final 4 shows this weekend
Where: The Peacock at Gluttony
How Much: Adult $40, Concession $35, details here
Let me confess at the outset: I’m not a Michael or Janet Jackson fan. That’s not to say I dislike their music – but I know their biggest hits and that’s about it. I also have a terrible singing voice and treat people who can sing with fear and awe. So I wasn’t sure what to expect with Jackson vs. Jackson, the 2018 show from Charmaine Jones-Devasagayam’s Gospo Collective, with the Jones Juniors and the Jones Commentary.
It was incredible. It was absurdly hot and humid in the Peacock tent in Gluttony, but by the end of the show, half the audience was jumping and dancing around regardless of the heat. When Jones-Devasagayam first started singing, I grabbed the arm of the woman I was sitting next to (who I didn’t know) in awe: her voice was jaw-dropping. This was soon backed up by incredible soloists from the Gospo Collective. The Jones Commentary’s choral backing mixed gospel sounds with pop and funk, while the Jones Juniors drew audible ‘awwwwws’ from the crowd. Kelvin Maynes’ Man in the Mirror and Thriller were of particular note: I got actual goosebumps as he sang.
The audience was singing and clapping along, mainly at the start and end of the show. The show ended on a heartfelt note, with Heal the World, with an added resonance of the young children in the Jones Juniors singing along to ‘Heal the world we live in, save it for our children.’ Going in unsure of what to expect, this turned out to be one of the most fun fringe events I have attended in a number of years.
4 out of 5 stars
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