Anything Goes

Fareham Musical Society’s production of Anything Goes was a timely reminder of why this show is one of my enduring favourites. It is really just a piece of frothy nonsense, but Cole Porter’s joyous melodies and witty dialogue weave a spell on you, ensuring that you leave the theatre with a lighter step, humming the familiar tunes and feeling a whole lot better about life.

A lot of the effect depends on how the likeable, if rather unbelievable, characters are portrayed and, as I have come to expect from FMS, I was not disappointed. All of the principals gave assured performances, with good characterisation and strong vocals.

Beth Marshall as Reno Sweeney really impressed me with her melodic, clear voice and great stage presence. She performed all of her numbers to perfection, reeling off Porter’s mind-boggling lists with apparent ease, but Blow Gabriel Blow was a real knockout. This was also one of the main chorus numbers, and was particularly well choreographed (and costumed). Stuart Frank (Billy Crocker) was given plenty of opportunities to demonstrate his considerable vocal skills too, and enchanted the audience with his solos and duets, as he encountered every possible difficulty in his search for true love.

The prize for most outstanding characterisation must, however, go to Nick Scovell, who delighted us all the way through with his fabulous interpretation of Moonface Martin, the loveable, goofy gangster attempting to travel incognito as a priest. His sleight of hand steeling Whitney’s glasses and his memorable rendition of Be Like a Bluebird showed what a great comic actor he is. He was well matched by Clare Blackburn, as Erma, the traffic-stopping dame, out for whatever she can get from life and with a beautiful singing voice to-boot.

Jonathan Redwood (Lord Evelyn Oakleigh) played the archetypal British upper-class twit perfectly. His facial expressions during his main number, The Gypsy in Me, were a joy to behold. Alexandra MacLean and Mary Rose Finden were equally well cast as Hope Harcourt, the beautiful  heiress, about to be married to a man she doesn’t love, and her overbearing and grasping mother, Evangeline, respectively. Evangeline’s interactions with the crew as she searched for her dog Cheeky were most amusing. Roger Trencher (Elisha Whitney) was every inch the drunken Ivy League old boy, bumbling around convincingly after his glasses are stolen.

The band, under the capable baton of MD Ian Peters, produced a suitably bright and brassy sound that matched the mood and period of the show. Thanks to the crystal clear sound system, they never overwhelmed the singers and every word could be heard. Imaginative choreography, vibrant and colourful costumes, effective lighting and a slick, unobtrusive stage crew completed the recipe for a very successful production.

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