Annie

The rags to riches story of Annie and her orphan friends is an accepted crowd pleaser. It is a light and pleasant show which nearly always appeals to the audience.

Annie was played to perfection by Molly Cowley, this young lady has a strong stage presence and an excellent singing voice, I thought that she carried the part with panache. No production is however made by one person and she was ably supported by Daisy McLoughlin and Zoe Tunnadine as Molly and Pepper, as well as all the other orphans.

Steve Low as the formidable Daddy Warbucks was just right, and visibly melted under the spell that Annie cast, and their scenes together were both comical and also very touching, his experience on stage showed.  I warmed to Trudi Carter as Grace as the show progressed, there were alot of subtleties in her performance. The booze sodden harridan, Miss Hannigan is a gem of a role and every nuance of the character was brought to life by Samantha Grundy. The whole of the ‘Radio Station’ scene came across well, congratulations to all involved. I particularly enjoyed the orphan’s reprise of ‘Your Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile’ which followed. Also well played was Rooster and his gangsters moll styled Lily played by Simon McCleery and Hannah Fish. There was also a strength in depth as those who played the smaller roles all making super contributions, the children were all stars, you are the future.

The set worked well and looked great, the costumes were in keeping with the show. The orchestra was well balanced, all the musical numbers came across well, this was a show full of energy, well done. I was delighted to present Noda long service awards to some members, many congratulations, what an achievement. Thank you all for a super evening’s entertainment and hospitality.

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