Bugsy Malone

As a member of the NODA family we all know of the difficulties in keeping amateur theatre alive when faced with ever increasing costs, the reduction in box office revenue and audiences and the problems in selecting a product to present. One often thinks  is all the worry and heartache worthwhile. Then out of the blue a production comes along which reaffirms your belief in what we do and what amateur theatre is all about.

Such was the case on my first visit to Murton Theatre Group's Youth Section's production of Bugsy. Having faced problems created by the "Beast from the East" which affected rehearsals and the get in it was a joyous evenings entertainment presented by an enthusiastic and highly talented group of young people who gave it everything they had.With a group of 40 on stage whose ages ranged from 5 to the mid teens I have never seen such a happier bunch and this was transmitted over the footlights to an equally happy audience. 

With so many on stage at one time and the diversity of ages it must have been a logistical nightmare for the Directorship Team of Director Rachel Smith and Musical Director Peter Forster to coordinate but they did a remarkable job. Yes there was the odd glitch with scenery and props but when it came to the lib and vocals there was not one prompt all evening and even the youngest members delivered their lines with purpose and conviction.Added to this there was some fine movement and dancing from the cast and uproarious "splurge gun" sequences. Fortunately for me I was not in the front row and did not benefit from the "splurging"

With so many on stage it is difficult to include everyone for a special mention because they all did so well Just remember your contribution to the show was as important as the rest to its success. However I would like to mention a few.  In no particular order Corey Clarke (Bugsy Malone) Callum Robinson (Fat Sam) Chloe Lawton (Tallulah) Harris Miller (Dandy Dan)  Amelia Lambert (Blousey Brown) and Lucy Blyth (Fizzy) were  excellent in their portrayal of their respective characters The girls vocals were particulary good. There were other nice little cameos from Marnie Canning (Knuckles) and Joshua Baker (Captain Smolsky).

The set and props were  minimalist but fit for purpose and worked well The lighting and sound were good too, whilst the talented Band was great and supplemented and supported the Principal and ensemble numbers.

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