50 The Anniversary Gala

To celebrate your 50th Anniversary, it was a great idea to do a Gala, which celebrated all the shows the group has done over the last 50 years.  It meant there was a lovely mix of styles and musicals to suit everyone in the audience, as well as providing lots of opportunities for everyone in the cast.

There were some really memorable moments; from ‘Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’ to ‘Food Glorious Food’ sung by the younger members of the cast.   There were obviously too many in the cast for me to mention everyone, but highlights for me were:

Both of the songs by Sally Warhust were excellent – ‘Secret Love’ and ‘Can’t help lovin' that man’. She sang them extremely well and her voice really suited the songs.

‘Thank you for the music’ was beautifully sung by Emily Lawes and the company. She had a powerful voice which carried over the chorus with ease and had just the right quality for the song.  I also loved ‘In his eyes’ which was again sung by Emily, along with the equally talented Jenny Abson. 

Joanne Meredith gave a memorable performance of ‘Little Girls’ from Annie and I loved the enthusiasm and showmanship of Duncan Mitchell in ‘Where is the life that late I led?’

On the dancing front ‘Cell Block Tango’ was very well presented, with each participant behind bars and stepping out to tell their tale.  I enjoyed Tracey English and Claire Jones’s choreography, although some numbers were more successful than others.  There were some impressive jazz lines and a good variation of steps and patterns created in the dances.

The chorus produced a wonderful sound in the company numbers with some excellent harmonies, most notably in ‘Who Will Buy’ at the end of Act 1. Musical director Lee Tesdale had obviously worked hard on these and it paid off. 

Costumes by Pat Cleverdon were, as always, extremely good, as was lighting by Andrew Whiting.  The set was kept simple with a large ‘50’ at the back of the stage and appropriate props and furniture brought on when needed.  This was all handled very well by the backstage team lead by Maureen Quilter as Stage Manager.

Director Joanne Meredith really showed her passion and enthusiasm for the group by giving them such a packed and entertaining night of musical theatre.  The roll call of former Directors, Choreographers and Musical Directors etc. towards the end, on the screens positioned at each side of the stage, was a lovely touch and I understand on the last night you had founder members of the group joining the cast on stage.  This really personalised the show and made the evening even more special.   The very packed programme felt rather too long but it was a really excellent show which highlighted the local talent and gave lots of scope for everyone to be included.

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