A Summer Medley of Musicals

In this day and age there are thousands of excellent musicals with catchy tunes and upbeat tempos to get everyone singing and dancing along. But which to choose especially when doing a cabaret style show? Well the production team at Driffield Musical Theatre certainly did a great job at finding a musical that would fit with the tastes of all audience members. The team of Linda Wilson and Chloe Ellis worked well together to get a perfect mix of classic and modern music from shows such as Oliver, Sound of Music, Six and Matilda. The set list was put together with great skill to mix in each section and make them flow into an overall lovely evening of singing and dancing. The additional incorporation of Paul Thompson narrating the evening added a touch of humour and structure to the show, helping to create the relaxed feel.

The venue of Driffield Methodist School Room is a lovely intimate venue and the addition of a small cast of nine makes the audience feel very at home whilst watching the show. The incorporation of breaking down walls and using even the space in and around the audience was used nicely to give the intimate feeling even more. The staging was minimal but well used with a lovely simple backdrop and the occasional use of set such as a bar and stools which were brought on and off without impairing the show.

Each cast member was expertly placed into songs that fit their specific talent and skills and worked well in small groups, full chorus numbers or solos. The opening to the show set the pace for the whole evening with the entire cast performing Wilkomen from Cabaret. One of my favourite sections in the show was the two songs from the Addams family performed by the whole cast with solo sections given to Lee Wilson and Charli Willis. Although quite a dark musical the songs are light and humorous which every member of cast certainly injected into the number. Charli Willis gave another wonderful performance alongside Eloise Bulmer and Chloe Ellis in the song Naughty from Matilda, the childlike humour they injected into the song just made the audience smile. All the ladies in the show sang a wonderfully fresh and bouncy version of Gonna Wash That Man from South Pacific led by Jenny Townsend. This was followed by an equally bouncy and comical There is Nothing Like A Dame performed by Chris Robson, Lee Wilson and Paul Thompson.

The old saying never work with children or animals was ignored by this talented group, well at least about the animals anyway, and saw the wonderful dancing stylings of Sven the Border Collie accompanied by Chloe Ellis. This show had two solos which in my opinion were simply breathtaking and had the audience spell bound with the impeccable singing and stage presence. The first was Linda Wilson singing Bali Ha’i from South Pacific, a beautiful melodic piece with dreamy over tones which Linda injected into each note. Secondly Chloe Ellis singing The Movie in My Mind from Miss Saigon, a powerful emotional piece that brought a tear to your eye. These however although exceptional were very much outcompeted when in comparison to the absolutely breathtaking version of Edelweiss from The Sound of Music sung by the whole cast and accompanied by a live guitar. You could have heard a pin drop while this song was being performed. I think it is easily the best song I have seen performed by this wonderful group.

As small societies go Driffield Musical Theatre certainly continues to hold its own in the world of Amateur Theatre and it is very apparent the amount of hard work and dedication this group puts in year after year to entertain their audiences and try to produce unique shows.

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