Carry On Britain

The North York Moors Railway War Weekend provided the back drop once again to Pickering Musical Society’s annual WWII commemoration show, this year named “Carry On Britain”. Another well devised and excellently executed show was delivered by a dedicated cast of over 40 participants. After the opening tableau for Chamberlains iconic speech, we found ourselves at Kings Cross Station as the evacuation took place, as ENSA moved in and finally as the troops returned home. The scene was nicely set with a well painted backdrop, providing a mostly open stage for the large cast to use. The ladies’ chorus gave some pleasant performances of tunes, both familiar and not so, creating some delightful pictures with the staging, of particular note in “Sending You to Safety” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”. The men’s chorus provided some rousing renditions, of mention “Bless ‘Em All” and the effectively choreographed, “Gendarmes Duet”. The juniors and intermediates made a number of appearances throughout in short, specifically devised UV Scenes, which sadly, at times, detracted from the overall presentation of the singing. Whilst this was a team effort, there were a number of notable performances from soloists, including Niamh Rose and Pat Stockley in “Yes My Darling Daughter”, Marcus Burnside and Stewart Cambridge in the now traditional Maud & Fanny Sketch, Rachel Anderson with “As Time Goes By” and Suzanne Booker taking up the mantle for “Rule Britannia”. Many congratulations to the Director and Musical Director for delivering another night of nostalgia.

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