All Shook Up

As with all Juke Box musicals the story line involved is pretty flimsy and unimportant. The very basic plot is merely there to link together the songs themselves – in this case the wonderful music of the King himself, Elvis Presley. And my goodness did Springers do justice to this incredible catalogue of well known hits.

 

A strong Principal line up lead an equally impressive ensemble that produced stunning vocals throughout – I would go so far as to say this was vocally one of the strongest productions I have seen in my time as the rep for District 8. But more of that in a bit!

 

Luke Harding as handsome roustabout Chad had a huge amount to do and gave a good, hip swivelling performance with some nice vocals throughout. He worked well alongside Lexy Phillips as Natalie/Ed. Lexy has an exceptional voice which grew in strength throughout the production. Both displayed good comic timing when called for and seemed very much at ease on the stage. Luke’s asides to the audience also worked well and had us all giggling.

 

Deborah Anderson was wonderful as the bar owner Sylvia. A lovely, complete performance that showcased her acting and vocal skills. I really enjoyed her stage partnership with Colin Shoard as Jim (another lovely voice) and the development of their relationship from friendship to love was beautifully done.

 

Another great performance came from Lula Hemmings, the feisty yet love struck Lorraine. She sang beautifully throughout and had so much presence. I always feel the audience are in safe hands with Lula. She was well supported by Greg Morgan as Dean, no stranger to this role, he gave a sweet performance and together they made a believable couple.

 

Long standing Springers member Matt Scott as Dennis “the sidekick” had the audience on side as the boy in love with Natalie. A geeky characterisation of the part, he then surprised the audience by playing the guitar on stage as well!

 

Completing the main principal line up, new member Emma Loring as Miss Sandra treated us to powerhouse vocals that nearly took the roof of the theatre.

 

This show was very well cast but I do now have to give special mention to an absolute stand out performance from Katie Finch as Matilda the Mayor. Katie gave a masterclass in how it is possible to take on a smaller role but turn it in to something big. She maximised every minute of her stage time and her song “Devil In Disguise” was the highlight of Act 2. Barry Miles, the Sheriff and long suffering secret admirer of the Mayor was hilarious, following her silently around until he finally took his moment and confessed his love. A brilliant pairing.

 

As previously mentioned the singing throughout the production was of the highest standard. Congratulations to MD Phil Toms in handling these beautifully arranged versions of well loved songs. The harmonies from the entire cast were exceptional and the band were excellent. The closing of Act 1, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was a show highlight with musicians and cast combining perfectly to create the most gorgeous sound that gave me goosebumps.

 

Sound and lighting were also spot on, the decision made to use the in house team for tech definitely paid off.

 

The set mainly comprised of projections, cleverly chosen to depict each scene. All of them were crystal clear and I was very happy to see them fill the entire back wall of the stage rather than just a small part of it which is often the case. Well designed signs were flown in to the add to the detail. Some of the props and set additions were a little basic though, in particular the tunnel of love which did feel a little like an afterthought. Although I appreciated it was set to revolve to then become the chapel. However, I was really pleased to see the cast used for the majority of the scene changes which helped maintain the pace of the show.

 

Costumes were ok. I understand Miss Sandra did have a change of costume for Act 2 but it was incredibly similar to the one worn in Act 1. I would have liked to see more of a contrast here, although she did look lovely. Overall the hair, make up and costumes gave more of a nod to the era rather than embracing it. There was an opportunity here to create something visually that would have been more in keeping with the time and be more appealing to the audience.

 

Choreography was reminiscent of the 50’s though, particularly the jailhouse rock. My only niggle here is that with so many on stage spacing needs to be addressed. It became very crowded at times so I would like to see more cast moved on and off stage during the big musical numbers to create space for the dances to be executed more effectively. I wasn’t a fan of the tap sequence in the blue suede shoes being largely to stage left, looking very cramped. That said I am not a dancer myself so congratulate anyone with this skill set.

 

In summary this was a production that showcased the fantastic vocal talents of this hard working group that understand exactly how important it is to stay true to their community theatre roots while producing an enjoyable, high energy show that the audience loved.

 

Congratulations to the production team, cast and crew. I would happily have come back to watch this again and again. Thank you as always to the attentive front of house team and theatre staff who looked after us so well. Another great show from Springers and I very much look forward to the next.

 

 

 

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