January 2000 - Region 7 - Tony Adler
The Pirates of Penzance
Greenacres AOS
Producer: Norma Grimshaw
Musical Director: Gillian Farmery
Due no doubt to my increasing senility, I thought I was going to see Pinafore but when the overture got underway I came to the conclusion that either my memory was playing tricks on me or I was due to see the rather more enjoyable Pirates.
The opening coast scene convinced me that I did not need to look at the programme to correct my error. Ever since the Broadway Pirates came on the scene, producers have had a dilemma. As I have written before, societies should do one version or the other. Try to mix them up at their peril. They also must bear in mind that the qualities of the principals in each show are rather different and very few can normally do both. It is almost inevitable that, in a traditional Pirates, which this was, there is a temptation to send it up a bit in parts. Norma Grimshaw just about kept it within bounds.
An experienced and fairly talented company went through the opera quite faithfully led by Janet Marshall as Mabel, Stan Johnson as the Pirate King, (thankfully a little more mature than some who have recently played the role in my societies), Tony Jackson as Samuel and Mike Kennedy, who performed very well, as the Major General. Duncan Routledge was the type of Policeman you would not wish to encounter on a dark night when behaving as a felon. The part of Ruth was right up Megan Patrick's street, both from a singing and acting point of view, and it was a strong performance. Peter Crichton (new to me) did a fairly good job as Frederic and should be commended.
The two sets were good but the two highlights for me were the company singing at the end of Act I and the disciplined and delightful orchestra under Gillian Farmery to which I listened all night to search for some indiscretion - and found none! Whilst this might not have been an absolute top flight show, nevertheless Norma Grimshaw must have been well satisfied with her efficient direction and the end product which seemed to go down well with the full house which speaks for itself.
H.M.S. Pinafore
Hallfold Music & Theatre Co
Director: Anita Stuttard
Musical Director: Colin Trickett
This is not, perhaps, the most inspiring G & S opera and Hallfold found that it had to carry out a fair amount of principal importing.
For me, the star of the show was Bernard Mole as Dick Deadeye. He commanded the stage, maintained a very strong character throughout and made his stage disability into his strength. I also felt that this was the best part I had seen Martin Williams play for quite a while. He was a strong captain and father who was eventually put in his place by a typical G & S nonsense which makes the captain and the young sailor Ralph Rackstraw, who was courting his daughter, change places and in the end ages a sailor about 20 years or more than one assumes him to be. Or, put it another way, for a bright hero, what had he been doing for the last 20 years? Not a very able seaman, methinks! However the "young" lover, played by Rob Driver, who has a pleasant voice, wooed the reasonably mature Captain's daughter, played by Stella Whitehouse, and won her in the end thus changing her status from Captain's daughter to Captain's wife (assuming that they marry). Josephine sang beautifully whilst the ageless Sir Joseph Porter was a part right up Chris Jagus' street - or rather, foredeck.
The female chorus of sisters, cousins and aunts was unfortunately two or three times as large as the sailors chorus who would have struggled to man a varsity boat (including the cox).
Judith O'Neill put everything into her role as Little Buttercup. Anita Stuttard, the director, seemed to have put a lot of thought into the show and obviously wanted movement which is very understandable. Unfortunately the stage at Whitworth is not very large and was well filled with the set. It perhaps did not help that the company did not look too happy with the movements up and down the necessarily steep steps (both those on show and those behind) and perhaps she would have found her task easier with a slightly less ambitious set. Certainly she had worked well with the principals and it is my opinion that it is usually better with a G & S chorus to concentrate on their singing rather than their movement.
Colin Trickett was a very competent MD and the orchestra did justice to the music. This society, with a fine G & S and operetta tradition, knows only too well that it has problems with recruiting the right members into its ranks but this is a problem with societies everywhere and one can only hope that it changes, not only for the sake of the societies and audiences, but also because there must be a lot of people with reasonable voices who are not going into the amateur operatic world. Unfortunately these people do not know the pleasures they are missing and the warm friendships they are failing to make.
Annie
Heywood AO&DS (Hey Kids)
Director: Joanne Lord
Musical Director: Paul Nicholls
Choreographer: Hill McIntosh
It can sometimes be more difficult for a youth society to play an adult show where the star is a kid and there are also several more who are an important part of the action. Nevertheless Hey Kids put on a well balanced and enjoyable Annie and the audience of mums, dads, aunts and uncles and, no doubt, some younger brothers and sisters will have gone home quite satisfied and entertained. Annie is an enjoyable and lively show and I rather like the music.
There were some very good performances from Samantha Anchor in the title role, Phillip Sanders as Daddy Warbucks and Shelley Byrne as Grace. Katherine Wicker performed most creditably as Miss Hannigan (never without a bottle in her hand) and was well supported by Katrina Bishop and Christopher Gresty as Lily and Rooster and Dominic Kenny as Roosevelt.
I suspect the members of the production team thoroughly enjoyed themselves and must have been very proud to have managed to work so well with such a big, well-disciplined company. Fortunately Heywood stage is large enough to accommodate them all and give them some movement.
Paul Nicholls was a new MD for them and put up a good show with a bright orchestra. This young man is learning from experience - indeed this must be about the third of fourth show of my region in which he has been involved in the past few months. Consequently his experience is growing quickly and will be to his benefit - and to all the societies with which he is involved. Even Sandy the dog, played by Charlie, had his moments with an occasional display of independence.
The staging was good, the action was sharp and the pace of the show never faltered. This youth society has come on by leaps and bounds since its inception a few years ago and it is a real asset, not only to the Society but also to the town.
Disney
Oldham Metropolitan AOS
It was an interesting idea. This Society once again decided to do a concert instead of a second show and came up with the Disney theme. Something to appeal to old and young!
When I write that I can remember Snow White and Pinocchio well - and even Dumbo - I show what category I am in but at the interval I was told that I would not recognise the second act contents (not, I might add, because I was too old) but because I was not a grandfather watching the Disney channel on Sky with my grandchildren. Oh, the things I have missed in my life!
With almost fifty different tunes and a cast of about thirty five, there was plenty of variety and some of the younger members of the society were able to get a chance. In fact, the intimacy of the venue at Crompton is always helpful to performers even though the amplified backing by Paul Nicholls, whilst excellent and the result of very much hard work, was a little too loud which did not help.
Terry Mills was the director and the Narrator (aided by Hilary Hinchcliffe as choreographer) and it was inevitable that he would get into the singing act at some stage but he patiently waited until the finale. It was a very energetic and swift moving "show" which was good and perhaps sensibly did not over concern itself with too much activity on stage sets or chorus costumes.
I will not comment on the artistry of the performers as it was not that type of entertainment. The one exception I make is to mention Dawn Leigh. Certainly in the second act particularly she was very much in evidence in various guises and moods and singing a variety of songs which were well received because, not only can she sing well but she has a lovely (a bit cheeky) stage personality. I am sure the society will have considered its efforts worthwhile and the company will have enjoyed it. Indeed, I feel the show was a success; I have no doubt that the audience felt so, too.
Guys and Dolls
Rochdale Amateur Operatic Society
Director: Howard G Raw
Musical Directorl: Harry Butterworth
Choreographer: Ann Parkinson
This show has an odd effect on me. On the few occasions I have seen an absolutely outstanding production, I have considered it a fabulous show. But it is not a show that naturally wins over a typical British audience. All shows have essential ingredients but in this one there is so much in the interplay between all the diverse characters, and what little the chorus has to do is so important, that an odd weak link can slightly devalue the whole show. Furthermore it is helped if the audience has read Damon Runyon to get a feel for the delightful slightly "over the top" characters but I suspect few ever have.
There was certainly not a lot wrong with the show. Martin Roche is quite an experienced Sky Masterson and strolled through the role with ease and in a first-class manner whilst Anne Birchenough was an attractive and dignified Sister Sarah with not a step out of place. Zoe Booth made a good show as Adelaide but I did not feel that Howard G Raw was quite right for the part of Nathan. This role needs a special type of person with a good sense of timing, delivery and repartee with Adelaide to bring the best out of his lines and character. I felt Howard was a bit too much of a "cuddly bunny" and not quite enough of a rogue with some dignity and status - even a crap game organiser has some status!
Duncan Anderson (not quite Stubby Kaye) made a fair job of Nicely-Nicely and Mike Conroy gave, as ever, a reliable performance as Arvide but certainly not with a New York accent. Terry Wilkinson successfully played Lt. Brannigan the cop. Why is it that New York cops never get a square deal in musicals?
The show suffered from lack of numbers in the male chorus. You just cannot hide girls in "Luck Be A Lady" and although lack of male members is a problem, females are, unfortunately, not the answer. I may be wrong but whilst I believe Howard Raw stepped into the role to help the society due to the original Nathan having to withdraw, the joint function of director and principal does not often work.
Harry Butterworth and his orchestra were quite at home with the music and this was a good Guys and Dolls but just missed out on the magic which could have made it a great show.
Summer Song
Saddleworth Musical Society
Director: Harry Slater
Choreographer: Marjorie Nield
Musical Director: Harry Butterworth
I have often tried to analyse exactly why this is not regarded as a top show. It has some beautiful Dvorak music and the part of Dvorak himself with his good dialogue is a dream for a talented actor. Perhaps the other characters are slightly less inspiring and the mood can be a trifle depressing compared with other shows from the west of the American continent. I must confess that the song "One Boy Sends You A Rose" always sends a shiver up my back if it is sung well: even more so in its original form. However, for the good points mentioned above, I enjoy this show if the music is given full justice and Saddleworth did not let me down.
Dvorak may be the largest role I have seen the entirely reliable and dependable Charles Hopwood take on and he was excellent (indeed I have yet to see a poor Dvorak). His diction timing and stage presence could not be faulted and he came over as a talented, eccentric composer with a quick wit and intelligence yet very warm and worldly. Louise Taylor sang as well as ever and played her scenes strongly opposite Darren Fricker, one of the best young singers around who is gradually learning his stage craft and gets that bit better with each show. Alison Green and Rodney Cadd were two experienced, competent and supporting second leads as Milli and Joe whilst Jackie Ashworth gave her normal strong performance as Ma Flanagan (a difficult character to play convincingly) with as strong an Irish accent as you could wish.
It is a pity I cannot write the same about Austin McKenna's accent. He gave the impression that the Emerald Isle was about as real to him as a mirage and that he had never heard an Irish accent before! It was the most unconvincing Irish accent that I have heard!
Brian McEwen as Abe and Frank Boocock as Marek were also fine supporting players. Brian put over Abe's beautiful numbers very soundly. There was perhaps more emphasis on the dancers than usual for this show which perhaps caused the chorus to be a little less prominent. Harry Slater's production was efficient as was the difficult scenery.
Harry Butterworth and his orchestra were as good as ever if perhaps just a little bit loud so that I found parts of the singing were slightly obscured. I hope the audience enjoyed the show as much as I did.
The Boy Friend
St Dunstan's AO&DS
Director: Linda Ash
Musical Director: The Rev. Hilary Barber
Choreographer: Marjorie Catlow
It must be five years or more since I last saw this Sandy Wilson show. The first time was the original production at Wyndham's Theatre in London directed by Vida Hope with a cast including Anne Rogers and Hugh Paddick. Knowing that it is basically a show for a young company with one or two older people, I wondered what this society would do bearing in mind it values all its members of whatever age and ability.
Linda Ash, on her debut as director, did not let the society down. With a little bit of imagination she managed to find those who were, strictly speaking, irrelevant to the show, something to do and, at the same time, put on a very enjoyable and tight production with plenty and colour and movement ably assisted by Marjorie Catlow the choreographer. Linda certainly seemed to have imparted her own vivaciousness and enthusiasm into the performers. In this she was assisted by a superb pace and sound from the orchestra under the musical direction of the Reverend Hilary Barber who was, ecumenically, moonlighting from the C of E to the Catholic community. This is a very musically talented young man who will, it is to be hoped, be able to combine the parish duties he is to take up in Chorlton with this obvious feel for the musical theatre.
Every performer did well and should be congratulated. I will mention but three; Susan Gyves as Madame Dubonnet still has her lovely voice and it was nice to see her on stage again; Ralph Wilkinson was an even more mature Lord Brockhurst than normal and was super. His duet with Dulcie brought the house down! And finally, Margaret Turkington, whose lovely and warm smile and stage personality always charms me, revealed other parts of her persona not normally on view to distract me.
I would also like to add that it was nice to see the Chairman's grandchildren maintaining a family tradition of love of the amateur theatre. The songs and music are very pleasant and singable and the society put them over well. I congratulate the society, and particularly Linda Ash, for producing such entertainment from their own resources.