All Shook Up

I have just returned from a fantastic production of All Shook Up (The Elvis Musical), performed by Knutsford Musical Theatre Company – what a show that was!  Set in the 1950’s in a small town in the US, Chad (a sexy guitar-playing ex-con) shows up and changes the course of the town’s history by introducing, music, dance and most importantly – LOVE!

Ben Ireson once again took the helm as director.  It’s fair to say that KMTC are back to their best and have produced an excellent show.  Under Ben’s direction, the cast showcase their array of dancing talent and vocal gymnastics.  I loved Ben’s vision for the show and all directorial choices were effective.  I especially loved the three-dimensional characters (in what could’ve been a send up of the script).  Although most of the comedy was tongue-in-cheek, it was portrayed in a way that showed truth and sincerity.  Visually it was great.  All of the costumes, props, make-up and set were all part of Ben’s vision and it all came together to create the backdrop for a fantastic production.  One of the highlights for me was adding in the dancers to the scene changes.  This allowed the audience to be visually treated whilst the (brilliant) scene changes were going on behind.  I loved adding the dancers to the statue scene for ‘Let Yourself Go’ and I even appreciated the slick bows and the hard work that has gone into this production – well done!

I loved the choreography.  It was reflective of the time period and it enabled the dancers to be showcased in a way that was appropriate without distracting from the action.  The group of dancers were used very well throughout, as were the large cast.  Well done to Leah Dovey-Evans for her great choreography.

For me, the musical direction was outstanding!  Michael J Scott was at the helm of the ten-piece orchestra.  They sounded amazing throughout and were a great compliment to both the action and the scene changes.  I particularly loved the brass section.  Overall, Michael was totally in control of every beat and rhythm and I appreciated the hard work that has gone into creating those outstanding harmonies from the cast!

Lighting was very good.  Ian Wiper created the lighting design and it was very appropriate.  I enjoyed the colours and gobos used, particularly the opening Jailhouse scene and the Fairground Scenes.  However, the were a few issues with follow spots during ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ – this may be down to cast standing in the wrong place?  I also noticed that a line of bulbs had gone out in the Fairground during Act two.

It can be extremely hard to create a decent sound due to the size and acoustics of this theatre space, however, for me, this was the best sounding musical that KMTC have ever produced.  Under the clever guise of Tom Maurice, the blend between cast, band and the audience was excellent.

The costumes, props and set were great.  Even though the set was relatively small – it was used effectively throughout.  It was used as a backdrop to create location which, in turn, allowed the space to be used for the action.  I loved the directorial choice of adding in personal props to the costumes to add another element to the humour.  Examples of this were leather jackets, sunglasses and blue-suede shoes etc.  All of this went un-noticed and was appreciated by me.

Vicki Harrison played the protagonist Natalie/Ed.  Vicki has a great voice with great vocal ability.  I like the energy that she brought to her character(s) and she had a great rapport with her fellow actors.  I believed that Natalie was in love with Chad.  If I was to be a little picky, I would’ve preferred Vicki to use her voice in a different way whilst playing the role of Ed.  This would’ve been more believable, as a man.  Despite this, Vicki did very well, and I enjoyed her performance.

Kyle Hickman played the role of Chad (The Heartthrob).  Whilst Kyle looked the part and carried himself well on-stage, I personally felt that he looked a little young and a little small to carry off this role effectively.  However, the audience certainly enjoyed his performance.  I liked the little ‘Elvis-like’ nuances that Kyle brought to the role.  He sang well and has a great stage presence.  There were a few too many parts in the show when Kyle was a little ‘pitchy’.

Claire Moorhouse played the role of Sylvia – the owner of the local gathering place (the bar).  Claire had a brilliant stage presence with excellent diction, articulation and projection.  Not only that, Claire had outstanding vocals and could sing the phonebook!  Her version of ‘There’s Always me’ was spine tingling!

Connor Ryan played the role of the lovable dimwit, Dennis.  I loved the energy and commitment to character that Connor brought to this role.  I totally believed his characterisation and loved all of the little physical and vocal nuances that he brought.  Not only that, he has brilliant vocals too!  He had excellent comedy timing and was a pleasure to watch – well done Connor!

Louise Colohan played the role of Miss Sandra, the owner of the local Art Gallery.  Louise is an excellent character actress and I loved the physicality that she brought to this role.  Louise had great comedy timing and used her physicality (and great vocals) to add to the comedic effect.  The energy and embodiment to character, which Louise stayed in character throughout, did not go un-noticed! One of the highlights was her rendition of ‘Let Yourself Go’!

Emma Johnson played the role of Mayor Matilda Hyde – the baddie!  I liked the physical character choices that Emma made.  Her comedy timing was great, and she has a great rapport with her fellow actors.  Emma has a great singing voice too and I really liked her accent.  If I was to be really picky I would say that Emma needed slightly more articulation, but I appreciate that this may be down to the accent and therefore a character choice.   

Andrew Dolan played the role of Jim.  I liked the awkwardness that Andrew brought to Jim.  This helped add humour to the overall piece.  I felt that Andrew was not up to the same standard as the rest of the cast (diction and articulation wise) but I doubt that the audience noticed this or felt the same way.

Myles Ryan played the role of Dean – the young loved up teen who struggled with his commitment to his mothers’ regime and his heart.  I felt that Myles needed to work more on his physicality to show that he was in love with Lorraine.  I loved Myles’ vocals.  He has a great pop voice and sounded brilliant.

Leah Dovey-Evans played the role of Lorraine.  Not only did Lean choreograph the show, she played one of the main roles – no mean feat – however, she pulled it off brilliantly.  Leah has a great singing voice, great stage presence and great dance ability.  I was impressed by her accent and her acting ability.

Stuart Dutton played the role of Sheriff Earl.  Having not much to do in Act One, Stuart was still funny and brought a sense of humour to the role.  I liked Stuarts vocals in Act two and he played the part well.  He had a great rapport with Emma Johnson who played his love interest Mayor Hyde.

Overall, I really enjoyed this production.  All Shook Up is a great show that caters for a large cast.  It’s a bit shocking that more societies don’t put on this production.  The audience tonight loved it as much as I did and it’s not hard to see why.  The large cast were brilliant, the dancers were fabulous and the leading roles effective in their storytelling, vocals and comedy timing.  The cast had outstanding vocals when singing as a whole ensemble.  I literally had a few goose bump moments, particularly during ‘Heartbreak Hotel, ‘Can’t help Falling in Love’, including the reprise after the bows.  All Shook Up was funny, entertaining, visually great, vocally brilliant and it was a pleasure to go along and watch.  Congratulations to KMTC on a brilliant show.  Thank you once again for your hospitality and I wish you all the very best for your next production of Grease in 2019!

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