Kerry Katona has been one of the most famous women in Britain for nearly 30 years ago now. The star, 45, shot to fame as part of Atomic Kitten, who became known for their signature track Whole Again, in the late 1990s.
Whilst still a regular on the scene at Butlins and the nightclubs, I think it’s fair to say that, to most people, Kerry is more known these days as a media personality rather than a pop star.
With I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, Dancing On Ice, and Celebrity Big Brother all under her belt – as well as a string of autobiographies and reality shows detailing her dramatic personal life – it’s likely that some may have forgotten where it all started for Kerry.
4View 4 ImagesThe star is back on stage doing what she does best
4View 4 ImagesIt’s been a busy week for Kerry, who has just launched a World Cup single for The Foster Care Charity (Image: Instagram)
But I hadn’t – and that’s why I was thrilled to get the chance to see Kerry, who writes a weekly column for our sister publication new! magazine, in Super Troupers, which pays tribute to the legendary Swedish pop group ABBA, and their jukebox musical Mamma Mia!
When I first started out in showbiz journalism, Kerry was one of the people I wanted to interview most, and I’ve been lucky enough to speak to her a few times now, but I’d never quite managed to see her live. As I took my seat at The Fire Station in Sunderland, there was definitely a buzz amongst the crowd waiting for the show to begin, and, soon enough myself and the rest of the audience were out of our seats and up on our feet.
Upon curtain up, a group of esteemed West End professionals, known as Kerry’s Super Troupers, stormed the stage with a crowd-pleasing rendition of I Have A Dream, all dressed in ABBA-esque costumes, and then launched into Money Money Money.
It was half way through this track that Kerry, much to the audience’s delight, marched onto the stage and introduced herself as Kerry “Car Crash” Katona, instantly winning everyone over.
What followed was a glorious two hours of hit after hit, with Kerry taking the lead on performances of Mamma Mia!, Dancing Queen and Super Trouper, a personal highlight for me, in which she completely channelled Meryl Streep as Donna Sheridan and sang of a life, literally, in the spotlight.
View 4 ImagesKerry is joined by a string of West End professionals in the mammoth show(Image: supertroupersshow/kerrykatona7/Instagram)
But the absolute charm of it was that none of it was taken too seriously and Kerry made several jokes about her many divorces, cheekily altered a few lyrics to get a laugh out of the audience and encouraged us all to join in with the dance moves.
Other memorable moments included Kerry’s rendition of Does Your Mother Know, which she dedicated to her partner Paolo Margaglione, as well as barnstorming performances of classics such as SOS, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight), and Voulez-Vous.
For me though, performance of the night has to go to Ella McCready, who gave a vocally stunning performance of The Winner Takes It All that was followed by almost never-ending applause and would be tricky for anyone to follow.
But follow it they did and Kerry and the cast came back on to perform yet more tracks from the group’s back catalogue, with it all culminating in an encore of Waterloo, more than 50 years after the classic song was entered into and won the Eurovision Song Contest.
I’d be surprised if anyone in that audience left without a smile on their face. Kerry and her Super Troupers gave everyone an ABBA-solutely fabulous night out at a time when, some would say, the country needs it most. So, there’s just one thing left to say really: Kerry, Thank You For The Music.
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Kerry Katona’s Super Troupers runs at various venues across the UK until 5 July. Tickets are available here.
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