Bugsy Malone

Bugsy Malone is the re-imagining on stage of Alan Parker's 70's film musical - as much a "Christmas" staple as The Wizard of Oz was. The show is based on gangster movies, with shoot outs, gangsters and their molls, foot tapping dancers and car chases - all set to a brilliant musical score and all performed by kids, this was always going to be the obvious choice for Walney Juniors making their way back into the theatre after the imposed hiatus.    

Phillip Crayston played Bugsy Malone - giving quite a laid back, likeable character performance - at ease talking to audience and other cast members alike, though how Blousey heard him while he was speaking into the earpiece of the period phone, I'll never know…..  

As with most gangster movies, there's usually a couple of gangs fighting over turf/speakeasies - in this story, they are Fat Sam and Dandy Dan, both played well by Oliver Barrow and Isaac Oakes (also doubling as Cagey Joe).  

To be a gang boss, you have to have a gang - as with most gangs in this genre, they ain't the sharpest tools in the box - even moreso with Fat Sam's troupe all playing it for laughs and working well in their individual groups.  

Blousey Brown, beautifully sung by Mia Roundtree, played it exactly as written. Sometimes though (and this is no fault of the performer), you just wish the character was re-written, so that she doesn't seem so surly and needy all of the time.  

Blousey's competition for Bugsy's/anyone's attention comes in the form of Tallulah- a streetwise femme fatale and gangsters moll, played well by Molly Parsons.  

Ayla Johnson showed great potential in her singing and dancing as Fizzy in her Tomorrow number - I did feel that she could have moved more throughout the number, or at least been choreographed/directed to do so.  

Hapless cops Captain Smolsky and O'Dreary (played by Thomas O'Connor and Rebecca Fearn) added to the humour in their pursuit of the gangs.  

Some of the other minor roles - Leroy, Louella, Oscar and Lena were played with enthusiasm by Rubi Dudley, Ella Hartley, Florence Parkinson and Lucy O'connor.   

Regrettably it's not possible to mention everyone in this production - with so many dancers, singers and smaller named roles I would possibly offend by missing someone out.  

The ensemble don't get huge amounts to do in this show but what they did, they obviously enjoyed doing and the audience enjoyed what they saw.  

Staging was a hired set with differing levels and cloths for the differing locales - I did feel that Fat Sam's Office was a little far Stage Right, and audiences near the front on that side will have missed some of the proceedings. On occasion, and due to the logistics of the differing scenes, there was quite a time between scene changes, hopefully these will have got quicker during the run.  

Under Paul Blake's experienced hands as Musical Director, the cast and orchestra worked well.  

Choreographer Sue Lloyd Roberts kept the show well within both hers, and the cast's comfort zone - this is probably down to virtually a whole new set of youths and gauging their levels.  

Director Clare Rigg and Assistant Director Mark Johnson should be really pleased with what they accomplished with this - especially after the enforced break.  

One of the things we have to remember with the production is the length of time the group have been in hibernation - with a group who year after year have nurtured and grown their youth talent, to have a couple of years of experience and development torn from under your feet losing your "more mature" cast is going to have an effect. The fact that the society has still maintained its other members is testament to the hard work put in by the group I am looking forward to seeing how this batch develop, as there were a few gems up there already showing their potential.

Thank you, Walney Juniors for your invite and hospitality

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