Ingleside House hotel has barely been with us for more than six months and already they are spoiling the Cotswolds with their new entertainment evenings.

Dinner and live cabaret may sound like something from the distant past or something that would involve a trip to the big smoke but no more. The people that brought the award-winning Barn Theatre and Teatro Bar & Restaurant to Cirencester are now putting a modern and contemporary twist on the concept, bringing the best performers in the country to Ingleside House for nights of live music, laughter and fun, the sort we used to have.

The first dose of this came in the form of Frankie’s Guys, voted the best tribute act of 2020, a celebration of the music and life of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The group visited our Roman town for a two-night show that had the audience and us dancing in the aisles. Of course, a delicious three course dinner and a few glasses of bubbly helped but this could not take away from what was a charismatic tribute to one of rock n’ rolls greats that was enjoyed by all ages, literally our eyes adored the four performers as they continued to bounce through the hits with plenty of audience participation.

A purpose-built marquee sits at the end of the Teatro and Ingleside’s garden, this is the venue for the performances. It comfortably sat the 150 plus that were lucky enough to get tickets for dinner and the show, there were also stools and tables for those wishing to simply take in the music also. The show began with its curators, the delightful and smiley Heather Lundstedt Price and Stuart Matthew Price, a married couple, who despite a four-month-old child did not appear tired or jaded, in fact quite the opposite as they launched into show medleys to warm up a crowd ready to be entertained. Not quite baying, the Cotswold folk are a mild-mannered bunch but obviously keen to forget the troubles of the last year and return to some sort of normalcy.

After an impressive feed it was on to Frankie’s Guys and they did not disappoint. My partner is younger than I and despite having never heard of Frankie Valli thoroughly enjoyed the show, recognising countless numbers, more likely from TV advertising than the original music but none the less getting into the swing of the evening.

And then it came the end, too soon, as we all bellowed for an encore. So, it was time to say Bye Bye Baby to Ingleside and look back on ‘Oh What a Night’ it was. We will of course now be booking our spot for next month’s performance from Piano Man – Tom Searles.