Bonnie & Clyde

Bonnie & Clyde– The story of this musical revolves around the ill-fated lovers and outlaws, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, whose story has been infamous since they achieved folk hero status during the Great Depression. There is a wide variety of musical styles employed which makes for an intriguing mix of rock, blues, gospel and country. 

The simple set was just a plain black room with double wooden doors at the rear of the stage.  The band were placed upstage right and a slightly raised platform upstage left. All other scenery and props were swiftly moved on and off – but the cast and crew were very slick, bringing in  chairs, tables, car complete with headlights etc. to dress the stage for the many scenes – 29 in all. 

Both the lighting and sound effects were spot on and did a great deal to create just the right  atmosphere in all scenes. Throughout the production the appropriate Depression costumes were  well selected and fittingly worn with coloured highlights enhancing the scenes as appropriate.  Attention to detail was evident throughout. 

The 9-piece band including the director Jamie Cordell created an excellent sound. The balance  between the band and the singing was superb in all the different styles of music. The quality of  the singing was first class both for principals and ensemble. It was quite fascinating to watch  the musicians which only served to enhance the whole experience rather than distracting.  

The director, Julia Stevens, is to be heartily congratulated for encapsulating the era in which  Bonnie and Clyde mounted their escapades. The opening number at the picture show was very  confidently played by Lucy O’Connell and Elliot Weaver as the young Bonnie & Clyde which  served to indicate her desire to be a celebrity and his fascination with guns. Elizabeth Maties  and Sam Townsend were fabulous in the major roles, with some super singing and acting as  they developed their characters. The nuances of emotion very evident. They were ably assisted  by a fantastic cast. I particularly enjoyed “You’re Goin’ Back to Jail” featuring Blanche (Anna  Howard), Buck (Adam Collins), Stella (Meghan Richards) & Trish (Hannah Griffin) - they  were so credible and truly became absorbed in their roles. A contrast was Blanche’s solo  “That’s What You Call A Dream” which drew out tender emotion. Gareth Thomas was well  cast as Ted Hinton, the good cop with a soft spot for Bonnie and Karen Paterson was  convincing as Bonnie's worried mother. The ambush and deaths were dramatically recreated in  the final scenes with a good team of stretcher bearers. 

The whole show was a joy to watch. Every aspect was up to a high professional standard and  moved with great pace. The depth and intensity of the acting was palpable, and all the ensemble  numbers were exceedingly well choreographed by Lindsay Swift in a most original style. The  MD, Jamie Cordell, very effectively embraced all the styles both within his band and when inspiring the singers. The show was dynamic as well as emotional and gave both pleasure and  thoughtfulness in equal measure. The creative team worked extremely well to bring about this  challenging production of an interesting period in history. 

It is most important that the entire ensemble is congratulated on their very focused acting and  confident singing to contribute to this FANTASTIC production which could easily grace the  professional stage – in some respects superior. Well done ESPA. 

Kay Rowan – South East Regional Councillor 

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