Annie

Thank you for inviting me to your production of Annie. It was lovely to see such a good audience and thank you on behalf of Phyllis and myself for giving us such a warm welcome.

The set from Scenic Projects, though large, looked good and was handled very well by the stage crew. Well done. The lighting added to the ambience of the piece and costumes were adequate, although some characters had the same costume throughout the show, despite the long passage of time in the story.

It was clear the company were enjoying themselves - the energy and enthusiasm shown by everyone was tangible throughout the performance. All the major principals gave strong, convincing portrayals of their respective characters. The American accents and general demeanour were all good, and never over the top.

Neve Finn gave an excellent performance as Annie. She sang and acted her role very well, but personally I would have liked to have seen her in the traditional ginger wig.

The other orphans all gave endearing performances. Unfortunately, it was occasionally difficult to hear the childrens’ underscored libretto.

James Last was excellent as the loveable rogue Rooster, he brought comedy and gusto to the role and his singing was good. Grace and Miss Hannigan played by Elizabeth Dodd and Tracey McQuat played their roles well.

It was good to see Garry Foley onstage again. His performance as Oliver Warbucks was effortless and he had a very good rapport with Annie. The tap dance with Annie in ‘I Don’t Need Anything But You’ was a nice touch.

The orchestra, under the baton of Mike Ames, were good as was the choreography by Tracey McQuat. Ann Simpson’s direction provided the audience with a good night’s entertainment.

Well done to each and every one of you.

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