Review

REVIEW: Dina Martina: Forgotten But Not Gone – 3*

Radio Ha-Ha! talks Ha-Ha!

Written by Ciara Kelleher

Reviewed on 17th October 2019

I went to see Dina Martina perform her latest show ‘Forgotten but Not Gone’ as part of a intimate, excited crowd at Soho Theatre, London. I had no idea what I was in for. The show lasted approximately 70 minutes and mixed drag, cabaret and storytelling in a glamourous, glitzy and spectacular fashion. 

If you are planning on going to see Dina Martina perform, you can expect to hear some awful singing accompanied by stories that will stay with you for days. The show was ridiculous, hilarious and largely absurd. The songs, sometimes sung directly into the audience’s faces are entertaining for their shock factor and silliness alone. I felt that they lacked diversity, often using backing tracks from other famous songs. I would have loved it if she had changed it up a bit halfway through, instead of continuously going for the cheap joke.  I think it would have captured my interest, and been more enjoyable overall, if some of the songs had more substance.

However, Dina completely dazzles the audience with her presence, it is clear she enjoys singing and she performs with high energy and enthusiasm. The stories in between musical numbers seemed more geared towards American audiences. There was a short video while Dina did a costume change, talking about how she was part of the 1% of Democrats not running for President. Although I had wished the show would be more accessible to different audiences, Dina’s hardcore fans and returning audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy the show. She has a hilarious bit where she describes learning that Twinkies were being taken over by
another company and how she just ran out in front of traffic, the first car that hit her didn’t stop and she couldn’t blame him because he was on the way to the store to get the last of the precious remaining Twinkies. She pretended to cry at the most ridiculous things. Some of the other bits included talking and describing ‘Earthquake Clowns’ in detail. If you want to know what an earthquake clown is, this show is for you. 

Ultimately, the performance is enjoyable if you kick back and embrace the absurdity. I think this show is for anyone that would like to escape and just listen to an hour of pure silliness and entertainment.

To see if Dina will be performing near you, go to her website https://dinamartina.com/ for all the latest news!