Anything Goes

As usual an effort had been made to make front of house welcoming and appropriate to the show, with posters of cruise liners and bunting helping to set the scene.

This show, apart from the opening scene, is set entirely on board the SS American, and a clever set had been designed to accommodate the many different areas of the ship.  The main stage was two tiered, with functional double doors placed centrally on the top 'deck', and stairs on either side of the stage leading down to a rostrum in front of the band, thereby enclosing the band within the playing area.  With the addition of furniture left, the forestage was used for the opening scene of a New York bar, and later in the show, a grille was brought on to create the brig.  Two 'pillars' at either side of the set were rotated at times, and the inside of them ingeniously became the interior of the cabins, complete with fold-down beds and extra furniture.  In Act 1 Billy and the Captain entered the Stage left cabin from two different directions: to create a realistic feel to these scenes, it is important for actors to be consistent in their entry through imaginary 'doors'.  The set changes were performed by both cast and backstage crew throughout the show, and could have been enhanced by the backstage crew wearing sailor's uniforms.  Set changes were performed swiftly and efficiently.  The action flowed smoothly from main stage to forestage, with actors using the connecting steps confidently, especially while dancing.  

One of the best aspects of 'Anything Goes' is the scintillating Cole Porter score, and from the moment the orchestra struck up the first few bars of the overture, we were swept along by the jazzy, toe-tapping numbers, including many familiar songs such as 'Friendship', 'You're the Top' and the title number.  Indeed, the orchestra, under the excellent direction of Millie Millington, were a huge asset to this production, even at times adding to the action itself.

Costumes were well-fitting and colourful.  Reno had some stunning outfits.  The 'Angels' were well turned out throughout in matching costumes and wigs, and Hope looked very elegant indeed.  The ladies' costumes were nicely accessorized with sparkly jewellery.  Wigs and hair were of the correct period, and make up was appropriate.  Men's suits and shoes seemed authentic. 

Often in musicals we complain that we cannot hear the performers over the music, but in this case I felt that the performers were over amplified, at times to the point of slight distortion.  Whilst we need to hear them above the band, in a small hall such as this it is important to check the sound levels carefully.  There was also feedback on a couple of occasions from the central part of the forestage.  Sound effects were well cued, and there was a very authentic ship's whistle.  Lighting was effective and well-cued.  When the actors were at the bar on the forestage in Scene 1 their faces were in some shadow, but otherwise the stage was well-lit, and there were some nice effects in 'Blow Gabriel Blow'.

Choreography was quite simple and was performed with great enthusiasm by the cast.  In 'Blow Gabriel Blow' the column of girls behind Reno performing 'armography' was visually effective.  I liked the swaying at the end of 'Bon Voyage', which indicated that the ship had sailed; a simple but effective idea, well performed by all.  Lord Evelyn's rather frantic 'gypsy' dancing was hilarious.  The love duets were nicely danced, and could have been further enhanced by the performers ensuring they maintained eye contact when singing to each other.  Chorus singing was very good.

There were issues with pace throughout this production, which unfortunately led to laughs being lost through the mistiming of gags, for example in the scene where Moonface steals Elisha's glasses, which didn't appear to go according to plan.  At other times pace could have been improved simply by actors entering and exiting at a faster speed, and by cues being picked up more quickly.

At times during dialogue, particularly early in the show, Reno acknowledged members of the audience by smiling and winking at them.  I feel it is important to maintain the integrity of the 'fourth wall' during dialogue scenes, in order for us to believe in the characters and the scene they are playing.  Whilst it can be difficult to ignore an audience when they are so close, it is important to try to maintain the illusion that they are not actually there.  However, when Reno was performing her nightclub numbers it was absolutely acceptable and proper for her to interact with us, her audience, and this she did extremely well.

There were some lovely moments of interaction between actors, notably Reno hitting Billy in the face with her fur stole at the end of the first number, Evelyn dragging Reno off at the end of 'Gypsy in Me', and Evangeline's sudden scream into Billy's ear!  There was a good chemistry between Billy and Hope, and I loved the way that Billy's height was acknowledged by all his disguises being too small for him.  Other nice moments included the captain's very impressive rolled 'R' when introducing Reno and Billy's Chinese character in the final scene.  Moonface was an endearing character and his 'Bluebird' song was a real crowd-pleaser.

This is such a feel-good musical, it is almost guaranteed that the audience will leave with a smile on their faces, and this is even more the case when the cast have enjoyed themselves too, as you all so obviously did!  Thank you for your hospitality. 

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