Anything Goes

Anything Goes is a classic Cole Porter musical set on board an ocean liner and from the moment you entered the auditorium, the audience were transported to the deck of the ship.  The chorus, though unfortunately lacking men, in Bon Voyage set the scene perfectly.  It was lovely to see chorus members of different ages and particularly nice to see the younger members of the society included and learning their craft. 

The five piece band was generally well balanced however there were moments when the under scoring covered the dialogue and this was a shame. 

The well designed lighting drew the audience’s attention to the action areas and not to the band which were situated in the gallery above the performance area. 

The well painted set spanned two levels, allowing the cast moved easily between the ship’s decks.  The choreographer (Sarah Bales) made good use of the two staircases and full stage in the chorus numbers.

We were introduced to various characters on board the ship.  Reno Sweeney, an evangelist turned nightclub singer was played with excellent characterisation and vocals by Gina Abbatt Gina’s significant stage experience was evident in her strong performance in this lead role.  

Billy Crocker was played by Colin Wilson, again an experienced performer, delivered a solid performance, particularly in his delivery of a range of accents.  Congratulations Colin. 

The role of Hope Harcourt, an American debutante, was beautifully portrayed by Melanie Plowman-Cobb. Melanie looked stunning in her costumes and had vocals to match. “All Through The Night” sung with Billy was sung with perfect control and just the right amount of feeling.   Her overbearing mother was well played by Sally Emmerson.

Mike Barker  did well in his role as second-rate gangster, Moonface Martin and Nicole Georges was well cast as his sidekick Bonnie. Diction was good but often lost under the band. With no personal microphones you need to project a little more, however I enjoyed your characterization and facial expression was excellent.

 David Lodge provided some comedy moments in his portrayal of Hope’s English wealthy fiancé, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh.  David’s comedy timing and energy had the audience smiling throughout particularly in the bedroom scene between Sir Evelyn and Reno. Great fun.

Supporting roles were all well played by members of the company, including Mike Roberts as Elisha J Witney.  

Reno’s Angels sang and danced well and the sailors did a well-rehearsed job of setting the incidental props and furniture.

It was clear that the cast were thoroughly enjoying their performance. For me the outstanding moment of the performance was the opening to Act II and the company singing “Public Enemy Number One”. The harmonies were so well balanced it was an absolute pleasure to shut my eyes and just listen. Well done to you all. MD John Edwards must have been very proud of you. 

Thank you for looking after me during the evening. 

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