A Night at Our Musicals

Many thanks to Blackpool & Fylde Light Operatic Company for inviting me to their musical revue entitled ‘An evening at our musicals’ which was performed at Poulton Le Fylde Community Centre on Friday 3rd May 2024. This concert comprised of a diverse array of numbers, all from musicals which the society has performed in the past, and not a single moment disappointed.  

The production team were Danielle Woodhouse & George Baldwin who did an outstanding job at crafting a seamless show which flowed from number to number. It offered light and shade through the selection materials, which enabled a lovely journey through the evening. Staging was varied for each number, and choreography was adept throughout, offering varying styles across both disciples to match the number. All numbers were delivered to backing tracks, and there were nice blends within the strong vocal arrangements throughout. The works included full ensemble numbers, solos, duets and trios and group moments and showcased the casts’ talents across the dance, acting and song disciplines. What stood out for me moreover than the talent and showmanship was the camaraderie of the cast, the sheer enjoyment of them doing their work & the camaraderie with which each acted. 

Design elements were seemingly simple, yet effective. I loved how the show began with cast in jeans and a branded t-shirt, which immediately eradicated showbiz pretence, which set the humble feel which was retained for the rest of the show. As the show progressed, there were costumes added to help contextualise the numbers. Lighting was a mainly a white washed stage with colours added to embellish moments. There was a star lit black backdrop which was flooded with highly saturated bright hues at times which added stunning visual effects to numbers.  

With their being so many numbers within the show, I will select my top 5 highlights of the entire performance, but I need to state that I was so humbled to be invited to this performance and enjoyed the evening from end to end. 

My favourite moment of the night was a gorgeous rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ from Carousel. This was a trio performed by Charlotte Ashton, Louise Moore & Cherry Shedwick. I was not the only grown man in the audience which this number brought to tears. This number was performed with simplicity which drew full attention to the haunting vocals which complemented each other to give this timbre. The final harmony which has a shrilling whistle top note sent chills through my entire body. 

Hannah Ayres and Kaitlin Ward sang an outstanding version of ‘No More Tears’ from Boogie Nights. This number was truly electrifying which is a testament to the investment to characterisation and intent from the duo. They both have incredibly vocal ability, which was always in blend with one another. 

'Prologue / Little Shop of Horrors’ from the show of the same name was a joy to watch. Performed by Livs Ball, Amy Campbell & Louise Moore whose synchronisation and articulation through both song and dance was second to none. 

Eryka Nickson’s version of ‘I Hate Men’ from Kiss Me Kate was a joy. Her animation and comedic performance radiated throughout the auditorium, creating a memorable moment in the show. 

Finally, my toe was tapping all the way through ‘Oklahoma’ from Oklahoma was a full chorus number which created a wall of sound when the voices came together. There were some strong performances from the 3 featured performers in this number Mike Donnellon, Emma Holmes and Matt Smith.  

Thanks again for inviting me to this performance. It really was a great evening & I wish BFLOC all the very best for their future endeavours.

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