September 2000 - Region 6 - Colin Magenty
BOUNCERS
Chorley ADOS
Director: Steve Unsworth
As soon as you walked into the theatre you knew what was in store - flashing lights, loud music and the unsmiling face of the Bouncers.
The play, although explicit in its nature, does show a part of society as it is (was?). However, the play does have one main fault: in my opinion, it is too long!
Steve Unsworth's production came across very well with Steve himself giving an excellent performance as Judd. Brian Clark was an excellent DJ and his female alter ego. In fact, the female characterisations were stronger, in many ways, than their male persona. Lucky Eric's speeches were well delivered by Barry Callander who gave us some nice moments. Joe Mills made up the quartet.
All worked well in this ensemble piece and a very receptive audience gave them a well deserved response. My thanks for an entertaining evening.
CELEBRATION OF SPRING
Knowsley Music Theatre
This group was just a part of what Knowsley Performing Arts Service is trying to do to give to the youth of the area an introduction to singing and the joy of theatre. The performance of the Music Theatre was something else. A performance of a new piece of theatre called "Our Town" depicted the move of Liverpool people to Kirkby New Town and the difficulties that ensued. The show was performed with such energy and vibrancy that it took the people of London by storm when performed at the Dome earlier in the year. It gives the younger choirs, and school children in general, something to aim for and to want to be a part of. More importantly, it is a first step on the ladder to giving a child a chance to know the wonder of theatre.
I hope that this idea goes from strength to strength. Could this but happen in each of the local authorities in my region, the future of theatre in the area would be assured.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Birkdale Orpheus
Director: Stephen Hughes-Alty
Musical Director: Sylvia Taylor
Choreographer: Philippa Standiford
The set was good, the costumes were good, the music was good and after the first night technical gremlins had been sorted, we were entertained to one of the best productions I have seen of this lovely show. This young director didn't miss a trick and handled the cast very well. I must also congratulate Philippa Standiford on her first show as choreographer. Well done.
The 'Preludium' sung by the nuns was just a taster for the excellent singing they did in the second act. The Mother Abbess (Ella Dring) gave, not only a sincerity to the part, but sang that final note in 'Climb Every Mountain' with such power that the 'tingle' factor was definitely felt. Max and Elsa Schräder played off each other very well and Frieda Kelly's Elsa added some lovely touches to make a nice cameo. David Moreland-Smith's portrayal of Rolf with its subtle changes as he becomes more and more involved with the Nazi movement came across well as did his scene with Liesl (Cheryl Clarke). This is another talented young lady who should go far.
The Von Trapp children, including Liesl, were hand-picked from the many who auditioned. It does show once again what a depth of talent there is in the Southport area. We even had members of the same family in the seven!
Louisa and Kurt were played by Melissa and Adam Clarke, Friedrich (Guy Unsworth), Brigitta (Sorcha O'Brien), Marta (Nadia Morrisey) and to finish a very sweet Gretl (last again - sorry) played by Stephanie Rawson.
The two adults who impressed me most were Liz Clarke and Les Gomersall as Maria and Von Trapp. They both gave faultless performances. Liz Clarke's Maria was one to live in the memory - and will! A most enjoyable evening, thank you.
THE MAGIC FLUTE
Una Voce
Director: Caroline Lancelyn-Green
Musical Director: Robert Sells
For someone who is more at home with Gilbert and Sullivan and Hammerstein, I was surprised at how much of the music I had heard before. I enjoyed the score, played very well by the Crosby Symphony Orchestra.
As for the staging: I found it, at times, confusing and certain changes of costume by Tamino did not make sense or seem to help the plot along in any way. There seemed also to be a lack of understanding on scene changes. Although cloths came in, the actors were not always able to get off stage easily.
We did have enjoyable performances from both Andrew Follin (Tamino) and Rachel Ashton (Pamina). Ian Gunning (Papageno) grew on me as the night progressed. All were overshadowed by the lovely voice and acting ability of Samantha Wright who gave a sparkling portrayal of the Queen of the Night.
I cannot finish without congratulating the two little ladies who performed the Magic Flute and the Magic Bells. Well done, Amber and Gaby Orr!
After all the set-backs this production has weathered, I am sure the company can now look forward knowing that that have achieved what it set out to do - firstly to entertain and secondly to give young people an opportunity to perform opera.
OKLAHOMA!
Ormskirk O&DS
Director: Sandy Threlfall
Musical Director: Steve Lockwood
Choreographer: Karen Edge
This was the director's swan song as she is leaving the area. But what a show to leave in the memory of those who saw it. It had pace, it was colourful and had a set of principals any show would be proud to include. It had youth and experience and the young people on stage enhanced the show and were a credit to the society. There was also good discipline from the young ones and the chorus, although not plentiful, worked well.
The lady due to play Aunt Eller injured herself at home shortly before the show opened. Up stepped Pat Bell to fill the role and one would never have known the role was taken at such very short notice had we not been told. This is the best way I can praise this lady for a super portrayal.
The joy of the show was the depth of quality of performance from Adrian Roberts (Curly) who grew in confidence as the show progressed to Ian Lockhart (Jud Fry) to which he gave his own interpretation of the villain of the piece.
Ali Hakim (Martin Parry) was another little gem and surpassed only by Simon Foster who gave the best performance of Will Parker I have seen for a long time. Not to be outdone by the men, we also had an excellent performance by the lovely Janine Burrows who was ideal as Laurey. But the lady who had the audience doubled up with laughter was Ado Annie in a performance of which Ros Hodges can be justly proud. The rapport between Will and this young lady was as good as their timing. I can't wait to seem the both again.
What more can I say. My thanks to the society for the best show I have seen the company do - so far!
THE KING AND I
Hindley & Wigan OS
Director: John Connell
Musical Director: Joan Bond
Choreography: Jane Quinlan
All the ingredients you would need for a disaster were here: namely, a smaller theatre than normal, a stage on which there would only be one rehearsal - and that the dress - a cast of much larger numbers that I personally would have had and a show which, as chairman, you are left with, at very short notice, because the original director walks out!
But no! The old cliché "the show must go on" springs to mind - and go on it did. Not only that but the end result was more than acceptable. In fact, it would be wonderful if the stage at the Wigan Little Theatre could grace all this society's shows.
We had a reduced orchestra which was extremely well controlled by Joan Bond and which did justice to the music of Richard Rodgers.
The roles of Anna (Maria Collier) and the King (Ken Rees) were both well sung. I particularly enjoyed 'Shall We Dance' and the death scene. John Preston made a good Lun Tha and Adele Lomax was an enchanting Tuptim. John Clinton (Kralahome) was a nice cameo role, which I have come to expect from this young man. Gwyneth Holt's performance as Lady Thiang grew as the night progressed and 'Something Wonderful' came across very well.
Of course, with this show the children steal it and this one was no different: they were super.
So, congratulations on a success, not a disaster. I hope to see this society again in the lovely Little Theatre soon.
THE GONDOLIERS
Hoghton Players
Director: Robin Hirsch
Musical Director: Brian Hodge
Choreographer: Pam Bamber
This production had an enchanting opening as the overture struck up. The curtains opened to a well dressed stage and some undressed maidens who, along with their matronly overseers, entertained the audience with their excellent dancing followed by the waiters and their delivery boy who injected a sense of fun to the occasion. By the end of the overture there was a warm feeling of anticipation for what was about to follow. The costumes were lovely but, not unlike many societies today, there was an obvious lack of young men: four and twenty there were not!
For all that, the show went at a pace and although the music was not as tight as I have heard from this society it was very enjoyable. We had an interesting portrayal of the Grand Inquisitor by Alan Gibbs. A good, all round performance was given by John Hilton as the hen-pecked Duke of Plaza Toro. Unfortunately, he was let off by his two female companions who were quite pleasant to him although Casilda played by Helen Bennett gave us some amusing moments.
The song that marks the first entrance of the gondoliers was performed well by Antonio (Andrew Lamb). The same can be said of the principal gondoliers of the story, Marco (Ian Mackley) and Guiseppe (John Baldwin); both played their roles well. As for their partners. Well, it was unfortunate that the night before I attended I understand Tessa, played by Helen Cookson, lost her voice. If so, she did extremely well under the circumstances and she has a lovely stage presence. For me, the performance by Diane Mackley was the joy of the evening. She gave us a smashing Gianetta.
To top it all we had the superb dancers give the lead in an uplifting 'Cachucha'. My thanks to all concerned for hospitality and a grand night's entertainment.
ENCORE
Adlington Music and Arts
Producer/choreographer: Diane Simmons
Dancers choreographed by Gillian Pilkington
This was a night of non-stop songs from the shows. And if you want to show off what your society can do there is no better way. All ages get a chance and those who were left made up a choir in the pit. I normally do not like taped music but it certainly worked for this group. This was a slick, tight show and if there was anything at all I could fault it for, it was the length. But the performers and audience were enjoying themselves, so what the hell!
Very well costumed and lit, the staging was straight out of the top drawer. This was not just a cast performing a show but you felt they were saying "This is our society and this is what we can do!" And could they do it! They worked as a team making it hard to single out any one person. The numbers that will stay in my mind, however, were Hot Mikado's 'Three Little Maids', 'Brush Up Your Shakespeare' and a wonderful Cats selection.
In the second half Miss Saigon was truly a joy to behold as was the selection from Chicago, in particular 'Cell Block Tango'. No evening like this could finish without songs from Les Misérables. The quality was there and I enjoyed every moment - as did the capacity audience Thank you.
MY FAIR LADY
Maghull AOS
Director: Neil Townsend
Musical Director: Frank Glover
Choreographer: Betty Hall
A late start, a leading lady who was not very well at all but still Dr. Theatre worked once again and, although still suffering, she went on and gave a most creditable performance in this excellent production.
Good staging with drops at the beginning of each half in the form of an attractive gauze. Neil's productions improve each time I see them and a full house would seem to agree with me.
Mrs Higgins (Davida Bentham) made the most of some of the show's best one-liners. Mrs. Pearce also came across very well thanks to the wonderful diction of Pamela Ashcroft. Alfred P. Doolittle (Charles Formby) executed his two numbers well and looked the part while Philip Makin's Freddy emphasised the pathetic side of his character. Tony Adamson gave a well-rounded portrayal of Colonel Pickering and we had a sound and more than acceptable Higgins in the form of Neil Butler. There was also a nice cameo from Eric Rimmer who caught the character of the bombastic Zoltan Karpathy.
As I mentioned at the beginning, the lead, Lynn Fairhurst, was performing under difficulties and although her Eliza may not have been the best sung, her acting ability and guts to give a performance of this quality were more than worthy of the accolades she received.
This society impresses me more each time I see them. My congratulations to both cast and director for a most enjoyable evening.
RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET
Waterloo & Crosby Theatre Company
Directed by Pamela Foy
Musical Director: Nick Dixon
Choreography: Sylvia Stubbs
The choice of show was perhaps a little adventurous because of its difficulty in staging and its technical requirements. One thing this production didn't lack, however, was enthusiasm. Here we had a mainly young cast whose energy came across, especially in the full company numbers. Unfortunately, the night I attended the sound gremlins were working overtime and solo numbers were lost when the chorus joined in. The company worked hard to get the 'Star Trek' feeling across but the staging did not help and it never really gelled. I am sure it will have improved as the week progressed.
All that aside. I did see some very nice performances, none more so than Ariel, played extremely well by Alex Foy who, I am told, stepped in at a very late date. My highest praise would be that if no one had told me I would not have known. Another young lady, Katy Bellis, gave us a lovely Miranda. We saw last season what Katy could do and now we know that she has a smashing singing voice to go with her acting ability.
Johnny Sheldon's Captain Tempest showed that, although he played the part well within himself, when it comes to dancing he can really let himself go! Captain Prospero, played by Kavan Graney, also seemed to underplay the role but came to life during the singing of 'Monster Mash' which was great.
Shelagh Brennan Jones played the part of Gloria and although she has only just begun to sing, believe me, she has a good voice but, like the others in the cast, suffered with the sound problems.
Cookie was played by Kenny Thompson. His performance suffered from some unease, possibly because it was the first night, but it did show was a talented young man he is. Certainly, if the society can hold on to this cast it bodes well for the future.
And finally - a word for the hard working 'crew' who moved and sang tirelessly throughout: well done. I hope the force was with you for the remainder of the week and that many more people were beamed up to watch you.
OLIVER!
The Pleasure Folk - Ormskirk
Directed and choreographed by Jack Donnelly
Musical Director: Edna Lally
This production was hampered by the set which did not work as it should. It was a shame as there were some good performances in spite of what must have been unnerving moments.
James Kirby's Fagin was more than acceptable and what I have come to expect from this young man. A role not normally noticed is that of Mr. Brownlow and just to emphasise that there are no small parts, Steve Coghlan's performance was well thought out and performed.
This was a show full of children and, of course, there are always one or two who stand out. But, in this case, I will resist the temptation and just say that I hope they enjoyed the taste of theatre and continue to enjoy it for years to come.
This production did, however, have two performances that I do not intend to overlook. Ladies first: Rachael Pritchard had everything one could want in a Nancy including a voice which had so much colour in it that you waited in anticipation for her next scene. On the gentlemen's side we had a Bill Sykes who, even without a cudgel or dog to help his character, using just his voice and bearing , managed to instil the sense of menace which is so important to the plot. For that Gareth Webb is to be congratulated
With all the first night problems taken into consideration, this was an enjoyable show and no doubt went from strength to strength as the run progressed.
THE BOYFRIEND
Southport AOS
Director: Thelma Falls-Hand
Musical Director: Frank Glover
Choreography: Pam Bamber
This effervescent piece of theatre by Sandy Wilson encapsulates all that you think of in a musical of the 20s. It is lively and full of fun, song and dance, and made for a very enjoyable evening.
The ladies did supremely well and we were treated to superb performances by Paula Harrison as Maisie, just pipping Shirley Rookyard's portrayal of Polly. But Jackie Morris's Dulcie was one of the best roles I have seen her play and her duet with Lord Brockhurst, played by Don Sewell, was a beautiful piece of theatre.
Other worthy performances were given by Lady Brockhurst (Elizabeth Allwright) and Tom Hornby as Percival Brown. Madame Dubonnet's French accent was extremely good. We had a lovely cameo from June Wilson as Hortense.
The staging was good and choreography was to the standard I now expect from Pam Bamber. My congratulations to the whole cast for a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
MUSICAL CRUISE
St Ambrose Players (Leyland)
I have to say that I am sometimes wary of 'homespun' musical extravaganzas. However, this had a reasonable storyline, was well scripted with amusing interlinking dialogue and supported by well chosen songs. Congratulations are in order to Hazel McDade and Jean Kallman who devised the book with additional material from Tony Gittens and David Whyte.
The storyline concerns two families, the Loves and the D 'Amours who meet on a world cruise. The Loves are working-class, lottery winners whilst the D 'Amours are upper-middle-class whose family business is rapidly heading for the knacker's yard. After much bickering and inter-family rivalry, plus a burgeoning romance between David Love and Abigail D'Amour, the families are eventually drawn together when Derek Love decides to back Roger D'Amour's business with his lottery cash. And, as all good stories should end, everyone apparently lives happily ever after!
The caviar brigade were well played by John Sangster (Roger), Kath Shaw (Vanessa), George Birkin (Grandpa Hugh), Kath Creer (Grandma Lydia) and Anna Henderson (Abigail). They were matched by the egg and chip contingent consisting of Lionel Glover (Derek), Joan Watkinson (Sheila), Colin Wood (Grandpa Bert), Marjorie Glover (Grandma Lily), Arm Yates (Debbie) and Lee Parkinson (David). Along with other assorted passengers and crew members plus two old dears, Matilda (Marilyn Hampson) and Cecilia (Barbara Woods), who apparently lived their lives on cruise liners - this made up the entire ship's complement.
As the ship made its way around the world we were regaled by many songs which related to the ports of call intertwined with some excellent dance routines. Foremost amongst the soloists were Pat Conner, Joanne Duckworth, Anna Henderson and Steve Barnes. A group of very good dancers also contributed with some excellent tap and Charleston routines.
Some ingenious folding scenery transformed the set from the ship to the Pyramids of Giza for, amongst others, the inevitable sand-dance and then to the shores of Bali for the gentlemen to let rip with 'Nothing Like A Dame'.
The whole evening ended when the ship finally docked with a rousing chorus of 'Rule Britannia' which was a signal for the enthusiastic audience to wave their programmes which were suitably printed with the Union Flag.
Congratulations to the company for a very entertaining world cruise.
(Glyn
Neary)
FOUR SOCIETIES IN CONCERT
St Helens AOS.: Rainhill AOS.: Pilkington AODS.: St Helens Catholic G.&.S. Society
Production Co-ordinator: Judith Martindale
MD for the Finale - John Flood.
This was a highly entertaining evening and a great idea for four societies to celebrate the Millennium together. It was non-stop entertainment encompassing all facets of musical theatre compèred in fine style by the excellent James Rigby.
Pilkington set the mood with Swing 2000 and included a number of its very young members - and they really did swing!. St Helens G.&.S. followed with the finale from act one of The Mikado - a complete contrast and very well performed.
Rodgers and Hammerstein gave Rainhill a chance to shine with a medley of their most popular numbers. St Helens AOS. closed the first half with excerpts from Les Misérables.
Rainhill's choice to open the second half was the Musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber whilst St Helens AOS. captured the wonderful music of Ivor Novell's Kings Rhapsody.
Pilkington re-captured their excellent Me And My Girl and St Helens G&S enthralled with selections from Pirates, Gondoliers, and The Sorcerer.
Over 150 thespians performed - a triumph for all concerned - with a wonderful climax to round off the evening when the entire company combined in 'The Chorus of Hebrew Slaves', 'The Nun's Chorus', 'The Soldiers Chorus', and 'The Impossible Dream'.
It has taken about 25 years for the four societies to perform together again;
I hope the wait will not be as long next time
(J.M.O.)