Year

May 2004 - Region 1 - John Flay

CAROUSEL

Sale & Altrincham Musical Theatre

Director: Sylvia Isherwood
Musical Director: Paul Malcolm
Dance Director: Andrea Baloch

Next year will be Carousel's 60th birthday and it still as fresh as it was on the opening night.
For this production the Garrick workshop produced a very workable set with excellently painted cloths. The opening fairground scene was omitted which I can understand but something was needed to help introduce characters.
The production moved along seamlessly nevertheless with Liam Sammon as Billy Bigelow and Sandie Cowie as a pretty Julie Jordan, they blended well together.
It was Kathleen Moreton who breathed life into her character Carrie Piperidge and was equalled by her Mr Snow played by David Leathlean.
In support was Myra Clarkson as a tough Mrs Mullins and Kate Winder portraying Louise eloquently.
There was inventive choreography and the rest of the cast worked hard to interpret this classic of musical theatre.
After the performance I was pleased to present Wally Throsby with his long service award.

ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES

Urmston Musical Theatre

Director: Colin Titley
Musical Director: Sheila Jackson
Dance Director: Joanne Thomas

This pantomime was new to me it was like "Aladdin meets Cinderella" without the usual ingredients stretching the younger members of the audience's attention span.
Deborah Holmes was appealing as Princes Sapphire and was well matched by James Darsley as Ali Baba.
Chris Marney looked right as Bombastardo the leader of the forty thieves of whom we only meet two. Thirty-nine (Chris Perry) and Forty (Gary Hocking) both worked hard at the comedy.
The dame seemed to be an afterthought in this script but John Walker as Marcowdozer made the most of what he had. Carole McGillivray as the 'jolly hockey sticks" Princes Mediora came over well as did Jill Ratcliffe as the evil Catopheara, the one you love to hate.
Instead of the usual panto horse or cow we had an inspired character of MacCaw a parrot with a Scottish accent played to the full by John Partridge.
There was enthusiastic support from the rest of the cast and a good technical team. I would like to have seen a little more understanding of the genre in the direction.

PUSS IN BOOTS

Sale Nomads Theatre Club

Director: Bill Jellyman
Musical Director: Arthur Taylor
Dance Director: Val Jellyman (children), Muriel Coakley

Once again on a stage no bigger than a broom cupboard the technical team waved their magic and gave us mid- tabs, a village, Trump Hall and the inside of the Ogre's Lair; this was staging at its highest.
Add to the spell costumes, make up, choreography, music, all this was achieved with great success.
My only criticism was the vulgarity as pantomime must be good clean family entertainment.
Once again Ivor Snowden made a splendid villain as Griswald the Ogre and his sidekick Blotch played by Charlotte Smith showed good timing as the simple hobgoblin.
The two comedy villains Sarum and Scarum, played by Pamela Kellett and Petra Leashon, were a great success with the audience, their scene with the Bernie Clifton style ostrich was hilarious.
Principal boy Sandie Cowie as our hero Harry and principal girl Jenny Hollinshead as the heroine Princess Aurora were a panto couple who looked as they should be together. Hollie Jackson was the sexiest "Puss in Boots" I have seen, very different.
A good cameo role from Bryan Shakeshatt as Chancellor Egbert and the rest of the cast gave full bite to their characters.
Despite the direction criticism this was a Nomad pantomime and the audience loved it.

ALADDIN

Holy Rood Stage Society

Director: Jacqui Marsh
Musical Director: Ian Cottrill
Dance Director: Beth Bracegirdle

This traditional pantomime script by Peter Denyer (NODA) has all the panto elements. A hard working cast gave their all to fill this production with energy and colour.
Ron Jones was well cast as Widow Twankey and the other comedy characters were all credible.
Rachel Sullivan as Princess So-Shi dressed the proceedings nicely and her Aladdin (Siobhan McMinn) was very likeable.
Choreography and the team of dancers blended into the production favorably. An effective set, good costumes and music of a high standard all contributed to making this Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp an especially good family show.

THE SECOND TIME AROUND

The Jewish Theatre Group

Director: Phil Cohen

For this production the venue was the Capitol Theatre, Oxford Street, Manchester. It has all the right elements for an audience, comfort and good sight lines.
With a good set by Proscenium showing the interior of Samuel Jonas's apartment where we enter into this story of love the second time around with two senior lovers.
Carol Berlyne made sure that there was enough humour and humanity to her character Laura Curtis and
the one she wants to start a new life with Samuel Jonas was played believably by Philip Greene.
The siblings whose marriages are not perfect and who think love is for the young cannot help giving advice to their parents. Mike (Howard Yaffe) and Eleanor Curtis (Michele Nevitt) gave performances where emotions rode high and low.
In the blue corner we have Cynthia Morse (Deborah Finley) and Dr Arthur Morse (John Blaskey) sparring off each other with enjoyable banter. Enter the cool grandchildren bringing everything to a conclusion.
This was a satisfactory production and the humour was treated with just the right amount of play that was needed.
The director gave full value but a little more time was needed to detail such as set dressings, also the door described as the bedroom was later referred to as the bathroom or was the bedroom en-suite?

WHEN WE ARE MARRIED

Prestwich Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society

Director: Brian Seymour

J. B. Prestley's 1938 "Yorkshire Farce' hasn't lost any of its impact, the comedy is as fresh as ever.
This theatre classic is so challenging for the actors the pitch, pace and the picking up of cues are essential to the success of the piece and the performers need time to bed in.
PADOS Theatre Group provided a set which captured the Edwardian period (seepicture below): it was interesting that it was not a complete box set, "blacks" made up most of the walls with paintings hanging off them with flats when doors were needed, it was very clever and worked very well.
The costumes added to the ambience of the 25th wedding anniversary of the three couples.
They are Alderman and Maria Helliwell (Keith Lomax and Elizabeth Evans), Councillor Albert Parker and Annie
Parker (John Still and Sue Coutts) and Herbert and Clara Soppitt (Fred Plant and Jane Murphy) who were played with admirable enthusiasm.
Bringing light relief to the proceedings was Chris Ainsworth as the inebriated Henry Ormonroyd and Carole Bernstein the domestic from hell, Mrs. Northrop.
The other members of the cast made this production an ensemble piece. The director showed much understanding of Priestley's style and comedy and the production was much appreciated by the audience.

FLY ME TO THE MOON

Sale Nomads Theatre Club

Director: Julie Cunningham

John Godber was commissioned to write a new play for the amateur stage and after attending a "Fly with Confidence" course to overcome his own fear of flying John drew on that experience for this play.
The project - royalty free - was performed by over 200 amateur groups between September 2003 and May 2004.

The boarding passes were taken and we were greeted by air hostess Kelly (Rachel Pantoja) who dislikes her customers and pointed out in true trolley-dolly style where the exits were.
Enter our two main characters Dave (Dave Mallen) who avoids flying after a return holiday flight was struck by lightning and his wife Anne (Charlotte Smith) who, fed up with caravanning holidays and her job, wants more out of her life. As a birthday present for Dave she enrolls him on the course.

We then focus on four more phobic flyers; Madge (Pam Snape) who is clinically nervous, Dave (Brian Tickle) the part time crooning lorry driver, Fern (Meisoon Nasralla) the student and sad Stella (Jane Pantoja).
The course brings the worst out of the six would-be travellers, and this is not helped by the staff. There's pilot Stew (Ross Douglas) who hates heights and Dr Ken Jones (Dave Black) the ex R.A.F. veteran and batty psychologist who is so nervous.

The script came across as unfinished. New work for the theatre goes through rewrites at rehearsals and previews, this clearly did not happen and the ebb and flow was very disjointed. After the last scene the audience did not know the play had ended.

This was an ensemble piece showing good comedy timing and broad rounded characters from all the cast.
The technical team presented their usual high standard that we have come to expected from the Nomads.

OLIVER!

Jewish Theatre Group

Director: Robert Margolis
Musical Director: David Wilson
Dance Director: Debbie Margolis

This production brought the junior section into the main group — there were 34 orphans and 21 in Fagin's gang and not at any time was the stage overcrowded thanks to the fabulous set by Proscenium giving the maximum working space. This meant stage discipline and excellent tightly choreographed ensemble work.
Oliver Twist played by Ashley Margolis showed a great understanding of the part especially in "Where is Love".
There were fine supporting performances from Henry Freeman (Mr Bumble) and Heather Bowman (Widow Corny). Maurice "Bill Sykes" Abrams, not only looked right but gave the necessary evil to the proceedings.
It was Lea Bowers as Bill's Nancy whose performance dominated the production showing the emotional power of the character. Her rendering of 'As Long As He Needs Me' was memorable.
Phil Cohen was consistently engaging as Fagin and his right hand, Dodger played by George Feld, was a believable Jack Dawkins with plenty of energy.
The cast certainly knew what they were doing musically due to the crisp and clear musical direction of David Wilson. This was a highly entertaining Oliver!.