Year

May 2004 - Region 10 - Peter Hendren

ULYSSES

Whitehaven A.O.S. Juniors

An interesting show, a vehicle for children to tell a story to rock music, and, as this gets them involved in shows, so much the better! It was done with modern 'unusual' costumes, and a minimalist set.

Initially I found the words were not paced out giving meaning to each phrase, but this was perhaps first night nerves in the opening scene. This soon settled down however. The music had overtones of Oliver and Joseph/Dreamcoat at times.

The part of Ulysses was very competently filled by Martin Bragg who set out on his journeying following the Trojan War. On his way he encountered Calypso, the Cyclops and Circe, which gave him a varied insight of soft enticement and frantic flight. Later the Sirens tempt him but he is adamant in his devotion to his wife Penelope — not seen for the past ten years.

All ends happily with Ulysses finding the ever faithful and sweet voiced Penelope (Becky Hardman), and with a rousing choral finale.

Show experience for all the Juniors was the plus in this show, and the exhilaration of performing for the public.

CHRISTMAS CRACKER

Carlisle Musical Society

This was indeed a Christmas Cracker of a concert! Again tying in with the local free newspaper, the proceeds were donated to the Eden Hospice. Using the large Sands Centre with its professional staging and presentation facilities, Producer Harry King and M.D. Janice Jackson combined for a superb slick evening's entertainment.

Introduced impeccably by BBC Radio Cumbria's Val Armstrong, the society and Carlisle St Stephens Brass Band gave us carols and Christmas songs both old and new. Tom Morley, the Cumbrian lad who did very well in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, sang for us. He included his own self-penned song and with it had come third in Europe!

The Society gave us a potted pantomime before yielding the stage to a former Society member now turned professional. He was Andrew Robley, and was truly excellent. He's been doing cruise ships for many years, sung before Royalty, you name it, etc., etc. A thorough going professional entertainer with a lively engaging personality who was performing in his own home town. He possesses a fine baritone voice, and gave us sentimental ballads, comic songs, with every word crystal clear, and worked his audience beautifully.

The Society members were too numerous to mention individually, but their movements, solos, and ensembles were exemplary! And all for a one night stand! One of the best concerts I've ever enjoyed, thank you Carlisle Musical Society!

PINOCCHIO

Whitehaven Theatre Group

A bright and breezy start to this pantomime. I liked especially the characterisations of Carol Corless as Belladonna, and old Geppetto played by Keith Starkey. Rebecca McDowell was a believable Pinocchio also.
Behind the masks were George Houghton as J. Farrington Foxglove and Yvonne Chapman as Fenella Feline and were commendably nasty throughout. The litmus test for this is if you are hissed or booed in the final walk down, then you've succeeded — they were!

The story was progressing along nicely until the lights started to play up. Even after a short recess to try to correct the problem with the 'board' the faults persisted. Players were either in full lighting, often flashing also, or silhouetted in semi darkness. The interval break still could not correct the problem, and the cast rose to the challenge tremendously, as they just carried on!

Towards the end Jimmy Morgan as Lampwick announced that patrons could come along on another
night in exchange for their tickets. A magnificent gesture! The offending lighting board was the property of the local hall, and this was in the basic hiring by the society.

The cast members bravely battled on to the end but I left full of admiration for their perseverance! The show had to go on, and it did -- very well!

ROBIN HOOD & THE BABES IN THE WOOD

Workington Am. Musical Society

A lively panto from this active society. The storyline seemed a little extended in the long first act, and the cast did well to sustain the interest. The second act has more plot action and bubbled along well.
This was Producer Reg Jenkinson's first production after many well-played parts, and he took the opportunity superbly to demonstrate another of his talents. I liked many of his deft touches in the business.

I marvelled at the stamina of this cast doing several shows over the Christmas period, ending with the one I saw at 5.30 on a Sunday afternoon, and this was the second that day! Jim Bedingfield took the honours for me with sheer hard work, in his dancing, falling over, and buzzing the plot along. I liked also Andrea Needham as Robin Hood and Jamie Birkett as Maid Marion, and they worked well together.
The cast was mainly younger people seasoned with some 'more mature stagers' and the combination worked very well, and of course gave great experience to the younger players for the future.

Dave Taylor in the pit marshalled his small forces well, and this was a lively orchestra, not averse to joining in the plot too!

The staging flowed perfectly, as was the lighting and sound — mind you it was the last of some eight shows!

The exuberant dancers were very effective and attractive in their routines, courtesy of choreographer Louise Ray. A lively show with a lively young cast. It can only be good for the society's future.

THE WIZARD OF OZ

Workington A.O.S./Juniors

An excellent version of The Wizard from the lively junior section of this society. They handled the stage, lights and choreography with odd adults to help and advise, and made a first class job of it. The production was directed by no less than tour directors, which brought in the youth section to this skill also.

Sarah Hawley was good as Dorothy, and with Mathew Harper (Scarecrow), Clark Wilkinson (Tillman), and Thomas Norman (Cowardly Lion), they made a fine team as they progressed through their various adventures.

Overall this was excellent entertainment, demonstrating high levels of skills by the juniors, which can only serve to benefit the society greatly in the future.

H.M.S PINAFORE

Penrith Savoyards

An excellent show "done right"! I do love G & S and having been exposed to the vagaries of various directors over the years, it was a particular pleasure to see director Stephen Thompson's production.
He's an old hand at Gilbert & Sullivan, and knows the value of preserving the clever words and glorious music, and making sure that these are presented correctly.

The parts were well cast, and, even the 'umble sailors, all lived their roles — good direction here.
I liked the excellent diction of Alan Dawson as Captain Corcoran, both in speech and singing, and likewise of Joan Heslop as Buttercup. Their duet in Act II was especially memorable.

Stephen Thompson was a suitably evil Dick Deadeye, but the star of the evening was, for me, Shani D'Cruze as Josephine. She obviously relished the role and every nuance and gesture were exactly in the character. Topped oft by her soaring soprano, this was indeed a superb performance.

Mike McNally ably controlled a sound orchestra, which led to some wonderful ensemble finales. Overall a most enjoyable evening — long live G & S!

SILLY COW

Rosehill Players

An interesting modern play by Ben Elton, complete with earthy dialogue in places. The Silly Cow referred to is a bitchy, middle-aged gossip columnist in a tabloid newspaper. She slags off everyone and everything she writes about and is a fairly unpleasant creature. However she is completely devoid of feelings of regard for her subjects, but as she is given a host of witty, one-line ripostes, she does exert a morbid fascination for the audience! Mandy Norman made a good stab at the daunting lead, but I left it anything she was too nice, in line with her normal likeable self! Possibly more vehemence in delivery and gestures would have helped?

She is eventually given her 'come-uppance' by all the other cast members, who all cleverly change theft voices and actions as they are revealed.

Fortunately I had read this play beforehand, so the strong language and twists of the plot were known so I could observe the transformations all the better.

Marion Fox did her commendable production skills as ever, and made an enjoyable evening's entertainment.

THE KING & I

Maryport A.O.S.

A very good show indeed from Maryport A.O.S. From the inception of the show we were transported to Siam with its fierce customs of kingly omnipotence and female subservience. Into this came the genteel Anna as a Royal governess, and the story chronicles how she eventually mellowed the autocratic king.

Louise Dixon made a charming serene Anna, and had an excellent rapport with the children. They were very numerous but well organised on stage and looked and sang with brio. Mark Courty was a wondrous self-centred, strutting King, getting every last nuance from the words. As an aside I would have preferred him to have used an individual mike, in some of the faster tempo songs, delivered from upstage.

His 'wile of wives' Elaine Jones as Lady Thiang was most pleasing. Draftee Tony McGee was very good as Lin Tha and worked nicely with Louise Robinson as Tuptim. Her 'compering' of the Small House of Uncle Thomas was excellent as the timing is critical. There again a mike would have helped when speaking through the music.

All the characters were well cast, and well versed in their parts, and this reflected on director Ed McGee. Once again a mastedy exposition of the director's art — getting the most out of the cast!

Costumes were of a high standard and, as usual, the stage staff were hard worked to ring the scene changes in very limited stage space. Richard Knight directed the orchestra with some lively tempos, and all of these facets combined to give a truly excellent evening. Well done!

SOUTH PACIFIC

Whitehaven A.O.S.

A bright and colourful show which gave excellent entertainment. An earlier appeal for men brought in many volunteers, who revelled in their musical numbers.

Emile de Becque was in the ex-professional hands of Sean Rea — and was quite superb with his thrilling singing and playing of the part. Opposite him was Audrey Pedersen, who rose to the challenge very well and was a lively Ensign Nellie Forbush.

I liked Ray Casson's Luther Billis very much, and also Lynn Mclif in as Bloody Mary. These were both very well observed parts. Ensemble numbers were put over with panache, and especially the whole picture — choreography and stage arrangements — in the 'Honey Bun' number.

Producer Geoff Hubbard showed the sombre side of the war very movingly with only simple scenery. A fine show — well done!

OLIVER!

Carlisle Musical Society

I recently did an interview on BBC Radio Cumbria about my job in NODA. After mentioning all the benefits of NODA membership, and seeing many enjoyable shows and plays, the talk turned to favourites, and then to least favoured shows. I opined that my personal 'bete noire' was Oliver! I have seen too many versions pandering to the "aw" factor as I call it — where the orphans and Oliver are played for maximum sympathy — the poor little things — the "aw" factor. This, I feel, is twee in the extreme, and coupled with unison singing removes it from the world of good drama, to my mind. Thus I was not keen on Oliver! as a show.

I have just seen the performance by the Carlisle Musical Society, and am now quite prepared to eat my words, my hat, or any other indigestible object, because their version was quite magnificent and would easily have graced a West End stage! The huge stage set was embellished with balconies, doorways and niches, and two further stairways led to the side balconies of the audience. These were all cleverly used in the show as needed.

The opening number of 30+ children in choreographed actions at the dining tables, was most impressive, where Oliver (David Mottershead) makes his request for more. Mr Bumble (Jeff Phillips) and Widow Corney (Helene Phillips) were beautifully observed characters, thinking only of the money by selling young Oliver.
Eventually Oliver reaches Fagin's den, led there by the Artful Dodger (Clark Wilkinson). I've seen Clark blossom over the years in another society, and this was a bravura performance in one so young!
He bounced and swaggered in a superb show of cocksureness and bravado against the shy, bemused Oliver.

Central in the den was of course Fagin (John Metcalfe), who brought a wealth of experience and guile to this scheming character. His diction, too, was superb, especially in the fast songs.

The chorus of youngsters was not to be outdone and their singing and movements in 'Consider Yourself were exemplary. Doubtless the new choreographer Maxine Watters was the inspiration for this and all the ensemble numbers!

The story was played out simply, but as strong drama, and was authentically rough and fierce.

The second act brought on the character of Nancy (Alison McKerlie) who was tailor made for the part in looks, singing and acting ability. She really lived the role in the strong scenes. Bill Sykes (Brian Coulson) was terrifying to all accentuated by the chorus running and flinching at every turn. His voice was rough, and he revelled in the forceful delivery of the words. Even his dog (Maggie) looked the worse for wear, with a long scar down her side (carefully drawn on)! Nancy was fixated on him and is sorely tried when she attempts to get Oliver to safety, leading to her own cruel murder by Bill Sykes.

In the pit Janice Jackson had a dozen or so players who made a fine orchestra under her tight direction. Lighting and staging were intertwined and very well done indeed.

Overall this was a superb show realised by semi-pro David McNeill. A great Oliver! with some quite superb individual performances, a lively and very numerous chorus of orphans, a wonderful set, an excellent orchestra all combined to give the 'burghers of Carlisle' a wonderful show.

It was one of the finest shows I have seen (amateur or professional), and I thank you greatly for the privilege.