After a year and five months away from theatre as a result of the pandemic, it was exciting to be invited to see ‘The Best of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’, at the Coaling Jetty, right on the river Thames, overlooked by Battersea Power Station. The venue was amazing, and perfect for an evening of outdoor musical entertainment.

The Jetty itself included several stalls selling drinks and food, which you could take to the deck chairs set out in groups of twos, threes and fours for socially distanced couples and groups. The surrounding view of the river and passing boats, and to one side Battersea Power Station was amazing.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were one of the most successful bands ever, selling over 4 million albums spanning several decades. In the early 60s, the band transitioned from their early doo-wop songs to compete with bands like The Beatles and the Beachboys. The show starts off with one of those early doo-wop songs and of course the wonderful harmonies.

Next, the band covers enduring classics from the early- and mid-’60s tracks like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Beggin,” “Bye Bye Baby,” and “Rag Doll”, and many more.

Next, they cover two great singles from 1975, attributed to the Four Seasons, “Who Loves You” and “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night),” and interspersed are some of Valli’s big solo hits, 1967’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and 1974’s “My Eyes Adored You” (Frankie Valli did like to sing about eyes now and again).

There was a medley of Beach Boys cover songs that were included in the show, which rather complemented the waterfront backdrop, along with deck chairs.

The show was very polished, despite the length of time many performers have been away from the stage. One observation I made was that there was a screen behind the performers, that wasn’t utilised. This screen maybe could have been used to display footage and images of the band throughout their careers, but nevertheless, it was the music and the songs that were centre stage. By the last three or four songs, everyone in the audience was up and dancing. The decking on Coaling Jetty provided the perfect space for a dance in the open.

It was an extremely enjoyable evening, with the perfect setting, ambience that the Thames provided, along with fantastic performances. The production is being taken around the country, and future performances can be found on the link below:

https://www.sweeneyentertainments.co.uk/shows/the-best-of-frankie-valli/