Annie

Living in an orphanage run by the unpleasant Miss Hannigan, young Annie never gives up hope that one day her parents will return for her. When wealthy businessman Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks decides to host an orphan to improve his public image, Annie is chosen to live in his lavish mansion. As she settles into her new life, she continues to dream of finding her biological parents. Determined to make her wish come true while generating positive publicity, Warbucks launches a nationwide search, offering a reward that attracts more than a few imposters.

I really enjoyed the opening scene, with the orphans gathered by the walls and gates of the orphanage. It was a fresh approach and created a powerful first impression.

Bella Dixon, who played Annie, was outstanding. Her vocals and acting displayed remarkable maturity for someone so young, and her chemistry with Miss Hannigan, played by Ava Ward, was exceptional. Ava looked born for this role, delivering fantastic vocals, outstanding acting and impeccable comic timing. Every time the two of them were on stage, they had the audience completely captivated.

The orphans were equally impressive and played a huge part in making this production such a success. Their singing, dancing and acting were consistently of a very high standard.

Jessica Robinson, as Grace Farrell, Daddy Warbucks' secretary, brought elegance and charm to the stage from the moment she appeared. She had a wonderful stage presence and gave a truly memorable performance.

Harry Paisley was excellent as Daddy Warbucks, portraying the many layers of the character brilliantly. He convincingly transformed from a hard-nosed businessman into someone completely won over by Annie's charm, while delivering lovely vocals throughout.

Joel Moore as Rooster and Morven Yerbury as Lily St. Regis made a superb double act. I particularly enjoyed their performance of Easy Street, which was full of energy, humour and excellent choreography.

I could spend all day mentioning every member of the cast because each and every one of you deserved recognition, but we'd be here all day!

Once again, Musical Director Alison Bedford assembled an excellent orchestra. It was clear just how much hard work had gone into preparing this production, as both the music and vocals were faultless throughout.

Choreographer Karen Woodruff once again demonstrated the highest standard of choreography. The cast's movement, precision and infectious smiles looked fantastic from the audience, and the routines were polished from start to finish. A huge well done to everyone involved.

The costumes were magnificent. Head of Wardrobe Sallie McNeill did a fantastic job, and I know just how much planning, creativity and attention to detail goes into producing costumes of this quality.

Technical Production Manager Dan Walters, along with Jonathan Mellor on Sound Design and Operation, also deserve great credit. The lighting and sound were first class. At one point I even thought the production had added thunder effects—before realising it was actually the weather outside!

The set looked fantastic, and special praise must go to Stage Managers Neil and Toby Cass. All of your hard work paid off. You can have the best actors in the world on stage, but if the set isn't right, it can detract from a production. Thankfully, your entire team delivered an outstanding job.

Finally, what more can I say about Director David McNeill? Once again, you have brought another outstanding production to our region. Your commitment, dedication and passion for theatre are evident for everyone to see. You have built an exceptional team across every department within StagedRight, and it truly shows. You pulled out all the stops with this production—I could happily have watched it all over again. Congratulations to you and your entire team on a job exceptionally well done.

Finally, to the ensemble: this is a production you will all remember for many years to come. Every single one of you played an important part in making this show such a tremendous success. Congratulations to each and every one of you. Very well done.

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