Curve Leicester is third on the list of Ramin Karimloo’s twelve gig tour. On this wet Sunday evening in Leicester’s cultural quarter what finer way can we spend an evening other than in the company of this internationally renowned singer and the talents of his Broadgrass Band?

Swindon based singer and musician Rob Richings is support and wins the hearts of this attentive Curve crowd with his homespun songs. His playful and often moving set features a selection of his songs from his recent album Parkas and Boots. Throughout his entertaining set he promotes his album and excites the audience about the main act following the interval. Honesty and generosity seem to be the key words in Richings’ work. As is ‘ uniquely talented’. Like Ramin Karimloo’s set we at East Midlands Theatre love the fact that Richngs songs have proper emotional stories at their heart.

Most of the near capacity audience remain in their seats during the interval almost as if they daren’t lose a second in rapt anticipation of the man they have come to see – the charismatic and wryly humorous, Ramin Karimloo.

With an impressive musical theatre career tucked securely away in the back pocket of his tight jeans Karimiloo jokes with his Curve audience that the Grease set is his own and that his Broadgrass Band are the Prom band. Karimiloo regularly chats to his rapt Leicester audience which incredibly even features a lady from his hometown in Canada.

Ramin Karimloo’s music set is a fantastic mix of show songs and country and ‘rootsy’ broadgrass which regularly features him on banjo and  guitar. Even hits like the opening songs Anthem and Bring Him Home are put across  uniquely by Karimloo, yet still they’re vocally just as moving and  powerful as versions sung in the actual shows Chess and Les Miserables.

His set promises to be slightly different at each venue. The Leicester audience see and hear the gifted Karimloo trying out a sensational version of Being Alive from Sondheim’s Company at Curve. It is an evening packed with a beautifully packaged and eclectic range of songs including Ol’ Man River, Hushabye Mountain, Sarah, High Flying Adored, Could We Start Again Please?, some of Karimloo’s own impressive songs (with fascinating background stories), and Til I Hear You Sing. The Broadgrass Band offer brilliant support not only musically but vocally throughout the terrific set. A well deserved spontaneous standing ovation completes a lively and magical evening in the generous company of Ramin Karimloo.

Reviewer: Phil Lowe

For East Midlands based fans who weren’t able to make this Sunday evening show. Ramin returns to perform at Nottingham Playhouse on 25 January 2017.