Annie

Ilkley Musical Theatre’s Annie was an absolute feast for the eyes at the Kings Hall. The whole production: set, furniture, props, even the programme was themed upon the original cartoon strip of Little Orphan Annie which graced the pages of the Daily News in the 1920s. The attention to detail was amazing and the first congratulations must go to Emilia Marszewska and Mark Allan for the artwork and to a huge team of set builders and painters for the clever pieces constructed. How many gallons of white paint and yards of black liner were needed to create the fantastic graphic effect?

The star of the show, quite rightly was young Felicity Moore as Annie. She stormed the stage with a confidence belying her age and showed not one sign of nerves on opening night. Her diction was impeccable and the quality of her singing voice perfectly suited the endearing little ragamuffin. A fantastic pick up in the reprise of Tomorrow showed us just what potential there is for this young performer. She was supported by an enchanting team of fellow orphans who gave the show their all. It’s a Hard Knock Life was a slick, well-choreographed number which the audience loved. It’s difficult to single out individuals, because they were all great, but the diminutive size of Olive Armstead as Molly made for lots of physical gags which the audience loved.

Annie is well known for her sidekick dog, Sandy. I have seen many a real dog in this show over the years- some of which have been a liability rather than a blessing. IMTS made sure their dog was under control by using a puppet. This was another genius creation from director Mark Allan and his dog really did bear a resemblance to the cartoon strip. Sandy was really sensitively operated by Keaton Bradshaw, who never took his eyes off the animal and hence drew focus on to the pooch. The dog breathed and listened with an endearing loyalty. Well done, Keaton. I love a well operated puppet.

The adult performers gave great support to the kids. Miss Hannigan (Rachel McMahon) and her brother and his partner played by Matthew Nutting and Helen Smith were suitably whacky and evil. I particularly enjoyed Rooster and Lily as the Mudges. Easy Street got the applause it deserved, this is a super number. Sadie Bellerby was beautifully costumed, poised and affectionate as Grace and Ted Killan made a very believable President Roosevelt. There were some great cameos: Sam Woodward as Bert Healy, Andrew Howorth as the Butler and especially Sophia Rose as the new girl in NYC who absolutely shone in her solo.

Special moments for me came when Henry Hyland kept popping up in small cameos. I loved his vent dummy scene, in fact the whole of the Radio City scene was very detailed and funny. Each and every cast member in that scene completely understood the style needed, so congratulations to director Mark Allan for that one, in particular. There was a huge ensemble involved in the show, which is probably seen less frequently theses days, but I’m sure they all enjoyed their opportunity to shine.

And finally, the stunning illusion of the night. Peter Whitley played Daddy Warbucks with his usual aplomb. But who would have known that his singing voice was dubbed by IMTS President Gary Holmes, seated in the pit. With one day’s notice, Gary stepped up to the plate and sang while Peter’s singing voice had for once completely disappeared. Bravo to the team, and to young Annie for taking that completely in her stride. After all, the show must go on!

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