2 JULY 1994, Page 26

It is billed as Copacabana — the Musical, presumably to

avoid any confusion with Copacabana — the Beach, and is written by Barry Manilow — the Composer, a man with a vast army of matronly fans but no discernible talent for the theatre. There is however a spectacular, Gothic awfulness to a show which seems to have been con- structed around vague memories of Carmen Miranda without the fruit, unless "IW14-401/4---