Annie

The rags to riches tale of orphan “Annie” is usually a crowd pleaser, and this was certainly the case for Murton & East Durham MTG Youth Section’s production.

Despite some technical issues with sound and lighting, and the simple staging using only furniture and props, the cast gave their full commitment to the performance and the overall result was enjoyable. Musical numbers were moved and sung well, and performed with enthusiasm by the young cast.

Emily Jane Bell in the title role portrayed her character with the right balance of confidence and vulnerability, and had the audiences’ support from her first scene. She sang and acted well and even managed to deal perfectly with her co-star Bruno the dog which was trying to upstage her during her solo “Tomorrow”.
Joel McShane as “Oliver Warbucks” and Shelley Nicholson as “Grace Farrell” gave solid performances, showed great maturity and portrayed genuine growing warmth toward Annie.

“Miss Hannigan” is a coveted role for an actress, and Nadene Frost made the most of it and portrayed it with zest.  Matthew Rankcom and Ellie Dawson as her crooked brother “Rooster” and his girlfriend “Lily St Regis” completed the troublesome threesome, and their scenes together were tight and well performed. Their rendition of “Easy Street” was slick in both choreography and singing, and was an absolute show stopper.

Credit must also be given to the supporting roles portrayed extremely well by Adam Bell and Tom Mc Kinney, and not forgetting the six delightful orphans.
Well done to Gemma, Peter and the production team for a super evening’s entertainment.

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