Popular Isle of Wight event Wight Proms reviews including G4

Last Wight of the Proms saw an audience of more than 650 descend on Northwood House in Cowes to round off the eight-day Wight Proms 2023 extravaganza in style.

The County Press reviewers were there every night to watch everything from country music to drag artistes.

Read the reviews from the first three days by clicking here

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Action scene at Isle of Opera during La Boheme. (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

Lucy Morgan went to Isle of Opera on Thursday:

A poet, a painter, a musician and a philosopher entertained the Wight Proms audience as part of a night of opera. Set in Paris, Puccini's La Boheme is a story of love, loss and even candles and shoes.

The tragic role of seamstress Mimi was played by Callie Gaston and the action was sung in Italian.

All was helpfully explained in English at the start of each act and with the help of a little Google here or there, combined with the performers' expressions (which one audience member called 'wonderful') and acting skills, even the uninitiated could easily follow along.

This comic, sassy tale, depicting grief and glee, was adapted especially for lucky ticket holders at Northwood House, debuted as part of the festival - and there are plans for it to tour the south coast.

Isle of Opera at Wight Proms. (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

Lori Little went to A Wight Laugh on Friday

Four comedians travelled to the Isle of Wight for A Wight Laugh...it sounds like the start of a joke, doesn't it!

Compere for the night was Paul Cox, who got the evening off to a great start by warming the audience up (mostly by quizzing them about various aspects of their life). I was grateful to be sitting near the back!

The first comedian was Tom Deacon who is not so much about the one-liners or the audience interaction, but more about building up to the jokes. He delivered all original material although his set was a little rambling.

Things picked up with Paul McCaffrey (although his takedown of a member of the public who randomly interrupted his set was quite harsh)! His own brand of observational comedy went down well.

Next up was the brilliant Seann Walsh and my ribs actually started hurting during his set.

Seann Walsh on stage at Wight Proms. (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

He made us all laugh from the off, while we were all huddled under rain mac hoods and umbrellas in the drizzle, he looked up to the imposing Northwood House and said if only there was a large indoor venue nearby we could have used...

Walsh is a fine storyteller, a master of physical comedy, and so self-depreciating it hurts. He gives a lot of himself and in return, hopefully he gets a lot back from his audiences. The Wight Proms crowd certainly seemed to like him.

Before and after the comedy was music from the fantastic Island band The Rockafellas.

The Rockafellas. (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

Lori Little went to Dance the Wight Away:

Strictly Come Dancing stars Ian Waite and Vincent Simone put on an entertaining evening, accompanied by accomplished vocalist Jai McDowell and two female dance partners.

Dance the Wight Away. Picture by Tom Stroud. (Image: Tom Stroud)

It was akin to a cabaret show with a little bit of everything thrown in, including some comedy sketches and a dance for the audience to learn.

They all made light of several mistakes, such as introducing the wrong songs. It being the first night of their tour, they promised they'd have the set down if we went back for the final show!

No matter - they were charming, funny, talented and endearing, and the dancing was fab-u-lous. 

Vincent Simone and Ian Waite. Picture by Tom Stroud. (Image: Tom Stroud)

Jon Moreno went to Last Wight of the Proms: 

The ever-popular annual concert featured multi-platinum X Factor singing stars, G4 — accompanied by the Wight Proms Concert Orchestra, conducted by the Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra’s Jonathan Butcher.

After typically warming up the audience with a march, overture and enchanting piece, In a Chinese Temple Garden, the orchestra got the feet tapping with a delightful medley of tunes from My Fair Lady.

G4 performing in the first part of Last Wight of the Proms. (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

Then enter G4, who opened with a superb Queen double-header — Bohemian Rhapsody and Someone to Love — before calming the energy they created with their rendition of Sinatra's, My Way.

The orchestra got the flags waving with Neptune's Holiday, before mesmerising the huge audience with Vaughan-Williams's Fantasia on Greensleeves.

G4 cranked up the entertainment levels to max with Giovanni Capurro's O Sole Mio — a tune not lost on ice cream lovers and which the quartet used to comic effect, singing: "Just one Cornetto, give it to me, delicious ice cream, of the Isle of Wight."

G4 performing to a flag waving crowd at Last Wight of the Proms. (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

The popular 'popera' four elevated and personalised the live experience with heart and humour, often picking out female audience members to serenade, presenting roses to unashamedly adoring fans.

There was not a dry eye — even for non-Liverpool and Celtic fans — when the tone changed with You'll Never Walk Alone.

The grand finale was a celebration of British music — what most concert-goers paid their tickets for, then G4 got the throngs on their feet with rousing renditions of Nessun Dorma and finally, Jerusalem.

It was a concert that more than deserved the prolonged standing ovation it received.