September 2001 - Region 1 - John Flay
MY FAIR LADY
East Cheshires Musical Theatre Company
Director: Bill Lawson
Musical Director: Andrew White
Dance Director: Sharn Alexander
The 'Lady' is alive and well, probably the best musical of the English language and is still keeping us dancing all night. Like the family heirloom we all love after a certain length of time it needs a little restoration. It is now 45 years since its opening night, then written for a different type of theatregoer. I feel over three hours running time is now too long for an audience and the licence holder should let the director cut songs and scenes.
Suzanne Mott brought charisma and presence to her interpretation of Eliza Doolittle and was supported well by her Higgins, Keith Hanks. The other Doolittle, Alfred, was played with a good understanding of the character by John Pinfield. The scene when Alfred sells Eliza for £5 worked well.
William Lees was every inch Eliza's mentor Colonel Pickering and Des Renshaw played a very charming Freddy with powerful vocals.
All the ensemble work was delivered with well rehearsed efficiency.
Once again this M.D drew warm playing from the orchestra, clearly revelling in Loewe's orchestration keeping the score on the move and as always being very supportive of the cast.
It was nice to see, at long last, in the credits Gabrial Pascal's motion picture Pygmalion being acknowledged.
CABARET
Prestwich AODS
Director: Lynda Burton
Musical Director: Steven Sharples
Dance Director: Helen Halstead
It is hard to believe this Kander and Ebb musical has been around for 36 years. This production retold the rise of Nazism in pre-war Berlin with its decadence of German society. The opening image set the standard for the rest of the show with David Leathleans lasting impression as Emcee.
The amoral American nightclub singer Sally Bowles was played by Kathryn Gorton. Simon Fletcher as writer Cliff Bradshaw pitched his character between bewildered acceptance of what is going on around him and bitterness stemming from discovering he had been fooled into acting as a courier for Nazi funds.
This was a hard working cast, with Anne-Marie Beck (Fraulein Kost), Stephen Stubbs (Ernzt Ludwig), Jenni Lomax (Fraulein Schneider) and Fred Plant, who gave emotional colour to his character, Herr Schultz.
The M.D's perceptive account of the score gave this production the right balance of fun and a threatening undercurrent turning comedy to tragedy.
MACK AND MABEL
South Manchester AOS
Director: Nigel Machin
Musical Director: Elizabeth Cheetham
Dance Director: Nigel Machin and Lisa Bradshaw
The book of this musical is so thin and the scenes are so fragmented the director and audience are left with a challenge. Within the pages of this libretto there is very little space to depict the Hollywood Babylon of the 1920s. In this production the director, with great courage wanted to simplify things, which at times confused his audience to were the action was.
From the first moment the brilliant Jerry Herman score burst out from the pie, you realised you were in for a musical feast never mind the plot. Obviously you need a versatile cast to do the music and lyrics justice.
Glenn Fildes gave a strong all-round performance as Mack; it was a shame Emily Grossman lacked bite as Mabel. Ben Keith managed to have fun as Fatty Arbuckle and there was great support from Kathleen Moreton (Lottie), Howard Newhall (Frank) and Peter Bowers (William D. Taylor).
I feel the whole company must have gained valuable experience from taking on this challenging musical.
OH RATS!
Urmston Musical Theatre - Junior Section
Director: Myra Pennington
Musical Director: Deborah McCormack
Dance Director: Myra Pennington
The timeless story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin was retold in this modern version by the talented Mike Carter of Earwig Productions.
Oh Rats is perfect for youth groups giving plenty of scope for the cast and production team.
Technically this production had an accomplished band, lighting that enhanced the simple setting, good sound which lifted the sometimes small voices and slick direction.
All the cast gave their characters definition which included Amy Brown (The Storyteller), James Williamson (The Mayor of Hamelin) and Lucy Girdlestone (The Pied Piper).
It was with these aspects that brought this timeless tale to life.