Singing In The Reign

                                                                    

This was a variety show devised as a tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II and consisting of music and sketches which were popular during the seventy years of the Queen's reign.

There was an excellent narrator/compere who set the scene at the beginning and during the show and was able to ad-lib during scene changes. Scene changes mostly involved cast members moving chairs and tables on and off. Good use was made of LED shimmer curtains which added a “regal”effect to the stage. There was interesting use of audio/visual clips to show specific periods in the life of the Queen and to denote scenes and locations.

The show opened with a lively rendition of Singing In The Rain by the chorus with Union Flags decorating the stage and clever use of umbrellas. Costumes for this were striking in red, white and blue. Then followed There's No Business Like Show Business with a black and white costume theme for the dancers. There were some exceedingly good solos, especially Sweet Caroline ( I loved the nun chorus joining in ), Thank You For The Music and Send In The Clowns.

There were three sketches in the show, all of which were much loved, well known and acted out very well. The star for me was the Social Class Sketch with tremendous performances and facial expressions from the three actors involved, especially the actor playing the role of the lower working class man. And of course, the perennial Four Candles Sketch, as exemplified by Ronnie Barker was classic. The famous Monty Python sketch The Dead Parrot completed the trio. Well done everyone.

The Cabaret setting was very attractive with some stunning costumes. In fact the costume team did a fabulous job in sourcing some superb costumes all very relevant to the period and social scene of the time.

The chorus numbers were well choreographed and there was great singing from the cast. I delighted in Maria, the Beatles medley and Do You Hear The People Sing but in truth every song was well performed and a good showcase for the period covered, and the talented cast. Inevitably We'll Meet Again was included, delivered in a reflective and emotional style.

Although there were no microphones used the sound level was good in the main and the cast were well rehearsed in the use of the backing tracks which were used throughout. There was good use of lighting with some special effects, with the stage brightly lit throughout.

I loved the “parchment” scroll format of the programme but, from a reviewer's perspective I would have welcomed soloists' name against their song. Difficult to achieve though with this style of programme !

Many congratulations to Director, Kerry King for devising and directing this very entertaining evening and well done to the talented cast and the off stage team.

The audience were very appreciative and I certainly enjoyed this fun evening.

 

 

 

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