Annie

As the song says “Oh What a Night!” and what a night it was from the moment the band struck up we could tell it was going to be great, the sound created from the pit was second to none, a rich round sound which fitted in perfectly with this great show.

There were some great performances from Mark Maltby as Rooster accompanied by Laura Wilson as Lily St Regis, they made a perfect match and I especially enjoyed their Easy Street number when they were joined by Miss Hannigan played expertly by Ashley Booker. This was the first time I had seen this part played by a man and I have to say Ashley made an excellent job of it in his singing dancing and also acting, well done Ashley.

Karen Osman was the perfect Grace Farrell, she had all the airs and graces which we have come to expect in this part and made a great support for Daddy Warbucks played admirably by Davron Hicks, he had a perfect American accent and his singing was a joy to listen to.

There was not a weak link in this show, the orphans and the chorus added to the overall enjoyment and I did enjoy the White House scene with all the senators playing their respective parts well, none more so that Iain St John as President Roosevelt.

Of course the success of this show relies heavily on one small girl in the leading role and Dinnington had found the right one for this part, they actually had two girls to play Annie, Daisy Mikulik and Millie Ducker who I saw. Millie was excellent she was able to carry the show on her tiny shoulders and this was evident when she sang Tomorrow with Sandy played by Cocoa the dog. Cocoa loved this number as he kept getting treats from Annie’s pocket, he knew where they were and continued to try to get them himself but as a real trouper Millie continued singing and feeding the treats like a professional.

Congratulations must go to Jonathan Wilby who conducted the orchestra with ease, to Jacqui Turner as choreographer and of course to Kirsty Probert as director, this was her first show and I have to say it did not look as though she was “learning the ropes” as she did a most professional job.

Well done to all involved in this great production.

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