Bugsy Malone

Bugsy is a show written for children which allows them to revel in the world of New York gangsters but in a fun way. Splurge guns are used to great (and very messy!) effect as ‘bodies’ pile up and gangs are wiped out. The large cast in this production was obviously having a great time and there were some terrific performances from these talented young people.   

Hector Duckworth-Smith showed great stage presence in the title role. He projected well and I liked the way he confidently addressed the audience. The same can be said of Theo Smith as Fat Sam. This character spends most of his time being angry and I was very impressed with Theo’s mature interpretation of the role.

A lovely performance by Ava Heard as Blousey.  Good confident acting and a beautiful singing voice.  Very well done. Tallulah is the complete opposite to the quiet Blousey and therefore has to exude a certain amount of sophistication and sex appeal. We must not forget though that the performers are not adults and I think the balance here was absolutely right.  Well done to Hannah Mizon on her lovely portrayal of the role, including her solo.

You couldn’t help but feel sorry for Fizzy, sweeping floors while dreaming of being a dancer. Nicely played by Mary Murray.

There were a lot of good performances in this production but it’s just not possible to mention everyone by name.  It was obvious though that the cast had worked extremely hard and I was impressed by how they stayed in character and appeared totally absorbed in their roles. 

Choreography was good and not too complicated allowing all those involved to tackle the steps confidently.  I was not aware of any stray limbs! 

The orchestra provided excellent accompaniment and there were some great chorus numbers as well as terrific solos.

The scenery had been well thought out and I loved the stained glass window.  Scene changes, of which there are many, were dealt with swiftly by the cast and crew.

Congratulations to the production team who put these young people through their paces and to everyone else involved in this lovely production.

Thank you for a very enjoyable afternoon.

 

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