Year

September 2000 - Region 8 - Ken Webb

PRINCESS IDA

Warrington Light Opera

Director: Juliet Miles
Musical Director: Peter Henry

The interesting thing about productions in this theatre is that they are performed in the round - or, at least, with the audience on three sides and the orchestra on stage. Different, you must admit, but what's more, it works. The audience is so close that the chorus has to know the words - no chance of getting away with miming here - and costume and make-up also come under the microscope much more than in a proscenium presentation where the audience is at a safe distance.

How did the company do? Very well indeed. The costumes were colourful and all in the same period; the make-up was acceptable and, in the case of King Gama, extremely good. But it was not only his make-up that was good. His was a lovely characterisation and Kevin Prendergast should be justly proud of it.

With this type of production the director has to move the cast around more than usual and this was well done. This comic opera has an interesting and fast first half. Then it slows down and sometimes can lose its sparkle, although, for me, here it still moved along well. I feel the sons have the only opportunity to lift the piece but they didn't. Again, their performances were acceptable but more could have been done, especially with the disrobing scene.

We were treated to some nice performances and the three friends, Hilarion (Steve Rayner), Cyril (Michael Burgess) and Florian (Simon Miles) blended well together. I mentioned King Gama earlier but we also had a good King Hildebrand (Ronald Birks) whose diction and delivery in the first act would not have been out of place at Stratford.

The ladies were not outshone. Lady Psyche and Melissa both turned in creditable performances: well done, Janice Randel and Julia Kindon. The title role for the show was in the very capable hands of Karen Dyble who gave an enchanting portrayal.

There is one person I have left until last. I have had the pleasure of seeing this young lady perform before and I was impressed then - but she just gets better! When she enters the place lights up. From wherever she obtained her head-dress, it was worth it. She gave a stunning performance and long shall I remember Jan Hutching's Lady Blanche.

Not only the individual performances but the choral sound and the extremely good orchestra all made for an enjoyable evening. My thanks to the society for its hospitality. I hope to see you again in the not too distant future.
(Colin Magenty)

SOUTH PACIFIC

Vale Royal AOS

Director: Cecil Walker
Musical Director: Heather Whyte
Choreographer: Liz Cassidy

Last year when Cecil Walker told me that this society intended to perform South Pacific we both agreed that an influx of men was essential. The society is to be congratulated in amassing the largest men's chorus seen on the Winsford stage for a long time.

However, bearing in mind that they are intended to portray young servicemen stationed on a South Sea island, they were not given the vigorous routines associated with 'Bloody Nary' and 'There Is Nothing Like A Dame'. Both numbers had an element of lethargy about them. Similarly, the chorus of nurses could have been given more lively movement in their numbers.

Gail Johnson was ideally cast as Ensign Nellie Forbush, singing, dancing and acting the part to great effect. Although the script calls for Emile de Becque to be somewhat older that Nellie, he needs to appear young enough to be realistically the father of two children. I am afraid that the casting of the vocally sound Tom Nixon in the role put any idea of his romantic involvement with Nellie beyond credibility.

By contrast it was a delight to see Michael Bradley, whom I last saw in junior productions, taking on the role of Cable. He is now a tall, handsome young man with a pleasing tenor voice. I can see him being in great demand for leading roles in the future. His scenes with Julia Rainford as Liat were directed with charming effect.

Suzie Jones excelled in the plum role of Bloody Mary as did Jim Davidson as Luther Billis. He had good support from Steve Blakemore as Stewpot and Ben Ireson as the Professor.

The officers were ably played. The ram-rod performance of Mark Scott as Commander Harbison contrasted nicely with the more sympathetic approach of Peter Oldfield as Captain Brackett.

All the other minor principal roles were performed to good effect. The accompaniment provided by MD Heather Whyte on keyboards, Tim Dowson on piano and Tony Whitby on drums provided a tuneful and lively tempo throughout.

On the night I attended, it was pleasing to see the presence of a larger audience than I have seen at recent Vale Royal AOS shows. It is to be hoped that the society can build on this encouraging feature.
(David Parkes)

TAKE 2***000

Alderley & Wilmslow AOS

The programme calls this the all singing, all dancing and laughter show and WOW, it certainly was! What pleased me most was the pace of the music maintained by musical director David Bradford and his excellent improvisations for the soloists.

Act 1 contained music from the stage - modern musicals and songs from the rock 'n' roll era interspersed with funny sketches like, 'If I Were Not Upon This Stage' and quality dance routines.

Act 2 was about the Hollywood greats and into the new millennium.

The singing of the soloists and chorus was first class and I was most impressed with the unaccompanied dance routines with the dancers tapping out the rhythm and using sweeping brushes.

Director/choreographer Carolyn Farrish-Mayer must be immensely proud, not only of the society members who all performed superbly, but of an excellent production.

I should like to add my own congratulations to the society which has raised in excess of £10,000 towards a new theatre in Wilmslow.

THE MIKADO

Mid-Cheshire AOS

Performing a major production in its own theatre for the first time to cut costs was a superb idea. I wonder why it hadn't been done before.

The theatre seats around 150 but playing to near full houses every night with this production by David Parkes must give a lot of encouragement to members of the cast.

The chorus was in tip-top form and the volume and clarity are to be applauded. Andrzei Wieckowski gave a good portrayal of the Mikado, Emperor of Japan, whilst Colin Jackson, disguised as the Wand'ring Minstrel pleasantly sang the role of Nanki-Poo. Once again the singing of Barbara Turner as Yum-Yum was superb. Together with Katrina Parker Smith as Pitti-Sing and Diane Roberts as Peep-Bo the trio was ideal as the three little maids. Ian Whitfield as Pooh-Bah made his presence felt with that strong speaking voice - a natural for the role. Natural too was Jeff Burgess as Pish-Tush, a noble lord. Katisha, an elderly lady, was expertly handled by Loraine Derry. Outstanding was Gavin Byers-Swales as Ko-Ko playing his first leading role in G&S. It was also his first ever appearance in a G&S operetta! He is certainly a star for the future.

Music for the production was supplied by two pianos and although superbly played I felt the audience would have appreciated a much more condensed overture.

The scenery designed and made by the society was very good and was enhanced by beautiful costumes.

Musical director Edna Rothwell must be congratulated on the quality of the singing and for maintaining pace.

The production, in general, was very good, but I didn't like the use of modern hairdryers in the opening of Act 2 and, although the interval entertainment of Sumo Wrestlers was funny, I felt it unnecessary and it would have looked better in a variety show.

BASEBALL HEAVEN

Cheshire O&DS Youth Set

This was the premier of this new musical which was conceived and written in 1994 for a one-night stand only. Then in 1999, with a revised script and additional musical numbers, producer Nick Cupit together with musical director and co-writer Mark Goulden gave us, what I thought was, a very pleasant and different type of musical.

The music was bright and pacey and easy on the ear. From the enthusiasm shown by the youngsters on stage it was just their type of music. I did feel, however, that the storyline could have been a bit stronger in Act 1.

The story is based in and around Brookdale High School in America and follows the typical boy-meets-girl scenario with Ben, excellently played by Chris Pym, a romantic heartthrob student in an American college, who is instantly attracted to Katie, the all-American High School student, equally well portrayed by Lisa Mather. But as in most teenage love affairs, there is a jealous rival in the form of Robbie, the bully-boy of the college, expertly played by Mathew Clare. As the relationship develops, Robbie's worry is that not only is there a girl at stake but also his reputation. Meanwhile, the Baseball Coach, superbly played by Craig Morgan, is not only coaching the baseball team to win the All-State American High School Baseball League for the first time in 10 years, but is also trying to win over the history teacher, Miss Campbell, confidently played by Amy McGee. Completing the talented cast was Emma Rodgers who met the challenging role as the Headmistress superbly.

The singing, in general, was good and in particular the Backing Singers, Lucy Hodson, Ria Kapur and Jodie Thompson. The choreography by Christine Whitfield was well executed by the dancers.

Congratulations to the committee for the excellent way they have trained these young people who, it is to be hoped, will progress to greater things.

The costumes were good and the simple sets, with excellent lighting was the right mixture for continuity.

This new musical has great potential and is ideal for an youth society. So, well done once again, and good luck with the musical.

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS

Mid-Cheshire AOS Juniors

When you read the list of the production team - over 30 in all - one realises how hard this group worked to make this production possible.

The version I saw was adapted by Jane Iredale with music by William Perry and lyrics by Roger McGough.

There were some notable performances, particularly Ashley Dawson as Toad and Sam Whitfield as Badger. Chief Stoat Carly Sandbach lead her team in great style and Will Huizer as Chief Weasel set the standard for his team. Richard Yarwood showed great stage presence as Ratty. Outstanding was Emma Finemoore as Mole. She is a real find and certainly a star for the future.

The scenery throughout was good and, together with the superb woodland costumes and excellent make-up, set the seal on a first-class production.

The Rabbits, Squirrels, Hedgehogs and other members of a very large cast did extremely well. Just one word of advice - and I am sure director Debbie Hobley has tried very hard to achieve already - voice projection!

Once again, well done and thank you for a very pleasant evening.

GUYS AND DOLLS

Newton AODS

I make no apologies for the fact that the Frank Loesser music and lyrics always entertain me and Newton put on a very creditable performance.

After a rather long and boring opening the 'Fugue For Tinhorns' was expertly handled and set the standard for some excellent singing from both principals and chorus. A delightful performance by Jean Gardener as Miss Adelaide grew in stature as the show progressed and made a nice contrast to Lyn Roby who sang her way into the part of Sarah Brown. Colin Spears adopted a debonair approach to Sky Masterson but lacked that strong presence so essential to the role.

Barry Dilworth's larger-than-life Nicely-Nicely completely stole the show and the 'Sit Down Your Rockin' the Boat' scene, including almost the whole cast, was superb.

Strong characters were needed for the male roles and these were in abundance with Mike McCaw leading the way with a good portrayal of Nathan Detroit. His comic timing, particularly with Miss Adelaide, was excellent and, together with Mathew Pullen as Harry the Horse, Andrew Haynes as Big Jule and Paul Stafford as Benny Southstreet, was ideal.

Congratulations to the stage crew for the way it handled the difficult scene changes and to the orchestra which coped with the, sometimes difficult, score quite well.

The production, in general, was good but I felt let down at times by the slow tempo of the music which should be bright and crisp.

HALF OF EVERYTHING

Lowton O & D.S.

Half of Everything is an ageless musical set in the not too distant past and is a satirical and somewhat humorous look at fallen relationships influenced by the devil inside us all but countered by our conscience.

The writing of this show began in 1991 and I saw the premier in 1993, but since that time the writers have transformed the contents dramatically and, I feel, for the better.

When telling the story at the beginning of any new musical, make sure that the audience can hear the words. On this occasion the music was so loud that I couldn't hear the words and this was throughout the first Act. Had I not seen it before I wouldn't have known what the show was about. Act 2 was much better and more enjoyable.

The scenery was good and more in keeping with the high standards expected of this society and, with the lighting and costumes all made by the members, was very commendable.

The cast all portrayed their roles extremely well but I was impressed with the confidence displayed by two of the young stars, Kate and Amee played by Jade Rendell and Megan Barlow.

The story takes you, in song and rhymes,
From the wedding march through the happy times
From the night-club queen, to a courtroom scene,
Through the eyes of a child, when divorce is filed.
Life's a gamble when two people share
From the time of your life, to the depths of despair.

AND A NIGHTINGALE SANG

Centenary O&DS

I found this play a little disappointing after the resounding success of It Runs In the Family. The story is about a working-class family in Newcastle and its experiences during World War 2 with all its troubles and joys and why, with all the perils and troubles, the human race will survive.

The actors performed extremely well with what I thought was a bitty script. Mike Hall gave his usual competent performance as George, the father, and with Peggy confidently played by Anita Warburton. They set the standard which was maintained throughout with Bas Bennet creating a few laughs as Granddad Andie.

The two servicemen on leave from the army were played by Mike Welsh (Eric) and Jason Coman (Norman). Joyce was extremely well played by Jane Riley but outstanding was Joanne Cornet as Helen, the daughter.

Also appearing were June Massey, Beryl Rigby, Nick Thomas, with Sheila Cummins and John Postlethwaite giving us a taste of what good music was like in the 40s.

Once again the props and costumes were of the right period and the set, made by the society, looked good.

SOUTH PACIFIC

Zodiac AOS.

Director: John Corcoran
Choreographer: Beryl Rigby

I am not convinced that South Pacific is the ideal show for smaller companies in restricted premises. The large number of scene changes, and the variation in mood and feeling between the different story strands , particularly the racism themes, create their separate problems. Zodiac certainly had a good shot at overcoming these constraints particularly with the division of the stage into three separate action areas which helped to keep the action flowing. Making Bali Ha'i more than just an R and R escape for frustrated troops proved a little more difficult however.

For Ensign Nellie Forbush we had a lively and bouncy Julie Spencer, conveying well the mixed emotions of the young woman finding herself far from home falling in love with an older man from a totally different background. Emile de Becque was played by director John Corcoran. Mary Hyde played Bloody Mary mainly for laughs and though this is an acceptable approach there is an underlying sinister element in the character. Liat, the young Polynesian who initially captivates Lieutenant Cable, was played by Diane Robinson, and Cable by Paul Murell.

As always the male chorus, ably led by Joe Youds as Luther Billis, thoroughly enjoyed themselves. As the superior officers Ted Owen as Capt. Brackett must be careful not to go too OTT with some of his reactions. Commander Harbison was played by Dave Cordell.
(Gordon Hall)

STATE FAIR

Crewe AOS

Director- Audrey Rhodes
Musical Director - David Greatbanks
Choreographer - Sally-Ann Rhodes (Leader)

This was the amateur premiere in the Crewe area of this adaptation of the popular movie musical of some 30 years ago, State Fair. This stage version is not in the same league but you must admire Crewe for trying a new show and the attempt to make it entertaining.

The plot is almost irrelevant but I have doubts about it becoming a must for amateur societies "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "Its A Grand Night For Singing" being, perhaps, the only numbers people relate to: that is, if course if you remember Pat Boone in his hey-day.

Crewe put a lot of effort into this production with a good set, bright cheerful costumes, a pleasant, well-balanced sound from the pit, (even an excellent readable programme), and a large, hard-working chorus.

Bill Moss was in fine form pulling out all stops to infuse pace and comedy as Abel Frake, a farmer trying to prepare his prize boar for the top award at the State Fair. He was well supported by Margaret Taylor as Melissa his wife, hoping for the coveted award for her pickles and mincemeat.

Daughter Margy (Claire Thompson) and boyfriend Dave (Frank Millward) added a touch of romance as did son Wayne (Darren Thornhill) and his girlfriend Eleanor (Debbie Merrill).

The chorus made the most of "Its A Grand Night For Singing" and "Our State Fair " Its a pity that the very thin story line did not match all their efforts.
(J.M.O.)