Annie

Whoever said ‘Never work with children or animals’ obviously didn’t go to see Cannock Chase Drama’s production of Annie!

An orphan in a facility run by the mean Miss Hannigan, Annie believes that her parents left her there by mistake. When a rich man named Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks decides to let an orphan live at his home to promote his image, Annie is selected. While Annie gets accustomed to living in Warbucks' mansion, she still longs to meet her parents. So Warbucks announces a search for them and a reward, which brings out many frauds.

I don’t think I’ve seen an opening scene of a production where every child is so confident and knows exactly where they should be, including dance routines. If these are the future for Cannock Chase, then the future is very bright indeed. The part of Annie is no mean feat for any youngster to pull off, but Elsie Traat did an excellent job using her powerful voice to good effect. There was definitely an ‘Aah’ factor in the form of Dotty Shipton who won the hearts of the audience with her portrayal of Molly the orphan.

Louise Hewitt, as Miss Hannigan, gave a very convincing performance using all her experience and vocal talent to extract the humour from her role. Mention to for Brett Dewsbury (Rooster Hannigan) and Lauren Barry (Lily St Regis) for completing the fraudulent trio, their rendition of Easy Street was one of the highlights of the show with confident harmonies and dance routine. Peter Brown as Oliver Warbucks convinced me that he was not used to having a child in his presence and unsure of how to behave around them, he certainly had some big numbers to perform. Helen Collins played his aide Grace Farrell and made her presence known on stage. The named characters were ably supported by a well-disciplined ensemble, although lacking in men, their harmonies came through strongly and choreography was well executed. I particularly enjoyed the Hooverville number, and the confidence displayed by all in the cabinet scene.

Oh, I nearly forgot…. never work with animals! However, Pedro as Sandy the dog was very obedient and responded to every instruction he had been given (how many treats did he get through in a show?)

All of the musical numbers were well accompanied by a proficient orchestra and Dan Hardy had worked hard in teaching harmonies to the cast. Dance routines were effective and congratulations to Lauren Barry for her vision. The direction was very clear to see, and Julie Hunter had a vision which was brought to fruition by the players.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable evening, with a great feeling flowing through the audience. Thank you for your warm welcome and, once again, congratulations to all involved.

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