Annie

This well known show grew from the fertile brain of cartoonist Harold Gray and his comic strip Little Orphan Annie , opening as "Annie" on Broadway in 1977 and in London a year later.

Set in a New York city girls' orphanage in 1933, in the depths of the Depression, 11 year old Annie escapes to find her parents whom she believes to be still alive.   The plot revolves around her eventual escape from the orphanage and from the clutches of the cruel supervisor Miss Hannigan, who hates "little girls", by being chosen to be the orphan given a wonderful Christmas by the billionaire businessman Oliver Warbucks.   Despite Warbuck's best efforts to find them and despite numerous impostors laying claim (a $50,000 reward being the "prize"), Annie's parents are finally proved to have died years since.    All ends happily with Annie being adopted by "Daddy" Warbucks. 

The pivotal part of Annie either helps make or break this delightful (but gritty in parts) show.   L.O.S. have unearthed a budding star in 11 years old Megan Haynes as Annie.   The detailed programme notes tell us that her biggest aim is to be in "Wicked" on the West End stage.   I hope "Wicked" waits for her, but the West End surely will!

The other paragon on stage was Tim Evans as Oliver Warbucks, his magnificent baritone voice and huge stage presence dominating his every scene.

A host of talented actors / actresses supported wonderfully well.    Prominent among these were:

Mary-Elizabeth White as Miss Hannigan, a realistically sluttish drunkard.

Jaco Botha as Rooster Hannigan (her crooked fraudster brother), convincing as an ex-jail bird returning to "easy street".   A good mover too.

Kate Morris as  Grace Farrell (assistant to Oliver Warbucks), elegant and classy.

Sarah Marr as Lily St. Regis complemented Rooster very well as his low-life moll and partner in the bid to defraud Warbucks.

Roger Mowbray as President Roosevelt conveyed the necessary authority to this wheelchair role.

Michael May as Drake (the English butler) - I loved his hop of delight - another with great presence.

The orphan girls, Chloe Baines (Molly), Olivia Wilson (Pepper), Eva Bunting (Duffy), Gabriella Pearce (July), Rebecca Harris (Tessie), Isabella Anderson (Kate) together with Sophie Carter, Charlotte Cawley, Alannah Gibbs, Charlotte Harris and Georgia White whilst downtrodden were also cheekily defiant.   All were extremely slick movers, the dance routines being excellent for the last performance on Saturday evening, when I attended.

Annie is full of well known songs and everyone knows "Tomorrow" and "Hard knock life".   My personal favourites in this production were "Easy Street" (Rooster, Lily and Miss Hannigan) and "Something was Missing" hauntingly sung by Warbucks.

The various down and out street scenes were realistically portrayed, "Hooverville" conveying an aggressive tone of hatred towards  ex-President Herbert Hoover which really brought this startling scene to life..    I really liked N.Y.C., the ensemble scene of New York life, contrasting the "haves" and "have nots" lives perfectly.   This had real atmosphere and was skilfully set and carried out.

There were slick scene changes unobtrusively handled, the Warbucks sumptuous mansion, complete with his "Mona Lisa" amusing us in the audience.   The NBC radio studio scene incorporating a broadcast by Warbucks appealing for Annie's parents to come forward was well handled, but looked a little sparse on the large stage.   I would have liked more use  made of "Wacky" the dummy.    An amusing touch was the "applause" sign, on one occasion upside-down, which raised a laugh.   The pretty Boylan sisters with their "toothpaste" smiles were just right as was Bert Healy the announcer.   Ideally this latter part should have been played by someone a bit older, but Matthew Beacham coped well.

President Roosevelt's Cabinet Room was well set out, using just part of the stage. The "reluctant to sing"  Harold Ickes and other named actual named cabinet members of that era all adding to the realism to an important scene in which the American "New Deal" was planned.

With the phoney parents Ralph and Shirley Mudge (Rooster and Lily) finally unmasked and taken away to be dealt with, together with the protesting Miss Hannigan, all ends happily.   Annie, now adopted by Daddy Warbucks has her orphan friends over for Christmas.   Her brand of unfailing optimism has now changed everyone's lives for the better and the "New Deal" promises future prosperity.

This was a top class show skilfully and artfully directed by John Harries-Rees and given essential bounce by the well marshalled orchestra under the sure and steady guidance of M.D. Colin Copestake.    The highly innovative dance routines of choreographer Karen Ward together with an accomplished and energetic cast and chorus, who clearly relished this emotionally charged show, added immensely to its deserved success.

Wardrobe mistress Judy Kelly and her assistants made sure that all the costumes and wigs were well fitted and entirely suitable, as too was make-up.     Sound and lighting design and operation (Stuart Vaughan Richard Pike respectively) both added professionalism to this top class show.

The show was totally stolen by Sandy, Annie's adorable and well trained dog, barking on cue.    It is said "never work with children and animals", a truism maybe but in this show it succeeded brilliantly.

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