Annie Get Your Gun

This very traditional but lacklustre production, was supported by some good performances from the cast.  The opening was rather static, and did not convey the excitement of a Wild West Show, we needed bustle and fun to get us into the feel of the piece.  However, it was good to see the dancers smiling and looking as if they were enjoying themselves.

The set was minimal, and what there was looked amateurish – not what I would have expected from this company, however lighting was good, and props were mostly suitable. It was a shame the additional stage apron wasn’t used a lot, it could have added  more dimension to the production.

There were definite sound problems the night I was there – not only slow in bringing up the mics for both songs and lib, but also too loud underscore, which could have been countered if mics had been turned up a little more.

I particularly liked Cathal Prendergast as Tommy and Lucy Arnold as Winnie – they brought the gaiety and youth needed to their parts, and showed all three skills, with a very nice dance routine in their first duet.  A good partnership.

I thought Gina Abbatt sang the part of Annie Oakley very well – and she certainly gave the part her all- however I did feel that she was slightly too refined in some places for who is essentially a backwoods girl. Her family of Jessie, Nellie and Little Jake – Sophie Allen, Emily Osbourne and Max Abbatt respectively - played their parts well and I was pleased to be able to hear every word they said.  So well done to them.

I particularly liked Moonshine Lullaby, it was a charming interlude, beautifully sung by Annie and supported by nice harmonies from the ensemble.

Tom Evans sang the part of Frank Butler well, and looked the part, but I felt there was something lacking in his portrayal, I needed more devil-may-care attitude, and perhaps a more speculative touch when he realised he had fallen in love with Annie.  The disparity in their heights was concerning, but mostly they coped with it well.

Anything You Can Do was a lively number and is always appreciated by the audience.

Kier Home gave us a good performance as Charlie Davenport, showing us the upside of his character, and also a very good singing voice to support a good all round performance.

I liked Mike Barker’s Buffalo Bill – very much the in-charge main man.

Jonathan Fletcher gave us a nicely rounded character as Foster Wilson, whilst Sarah Cunningham’s Dollie Tait was very feisty, and a good contrast to Annie.

Iain Fishpool needed a little more gravitas as Chief Sitting Bull, and in a couple of places where he was speaking over the underscore, we lost his words, so hope that was addressed for the remainder of the run.

I was not impressed by the shooting match, the gunshots were very unimpressive – just a drum beat, it needed something more explosive, to increase the excitement of what should have been a nail-biting contest, and the balloon scene was also very staid and obvious that the cast were popping the balloons.

The band on stage was a good touch, but I would have liked to see them at least with cowboy waistcoats, if not checked shirts, to tie them into the production more.  I accept that Act 2 they would probably have been OK in their blacks, but they were somehow there but not involved in the action.  I was also concerned with the configuration of the band – it sounded very weak in places, and was not as full-on as it could have been to give a bit more fire to the production.

Some of the choreography was very suitable, and I thought the dancing girls did well, however there were parts when I was not convinced that the dance moves suited either the music, costumes or the cast.

Costumes were mostly good and colourful, there were a couple of dancers whose petticoats could have done with being hitched up a little, but I was pleased to see that gents trousers looked good and weren’t all crumpled round their ankles!!

So, all in all I thought the cast did well with what they were given, but the actual production, musical interaction and technical elements lacked imagination at times, and made this an unexciting production, with some charming and delightful moments.

My thanks to Hitchin Thespians for their hospitality, it was nice to catch up with colleagues and to see their latest production.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.