Catch Me If You Can

It was lovely to be invited to Briton Ferry, as this was a company I had not yet had the pleasure of visiting. This was a show I had not seen before so I was looking forward to being introduced to this musical. The show is loosely based on the story of con man Frank Abagnale Jr, who in 60’s America, conned people in to believing he was an airline pilot, Doctor and several different people. When the curtains opened, we saw the set which consisted of rostra and a doorway which was painted in bright colours and in a 60’s style which caught your eye straight away. The rest of the set and props were then brought on throughout the show by various members of the cast. Due to being in a community centre, there were some restrictions to the sound and lighting which didn’t take away from the performance at all, and this was handled well by the lighting and sound operators. 

It was great to see some of the cast making use of coming through the audience for the start. And the fact that the beginning and ending mirrored each other was lovely. We were then introduced to the 2 protagonists – Frank Abagnale Jr, played by Daniel Moses and Carl Hanratty, played by Craig Sawyers. Daniel as Frank, was as charismatic and smooth as the character asked him to be. He was rarely off the stage, and he handled this with aplomb. Craig played the agent Hanratty, with a subtle hint of urgency and a little bumbling, which was endearing. I must applaud Daniel for how he handled a little microphone mishap during his final solo number. Even though the microphone was not on for half the number, we could still clearly hear him, and it was one of his standout numbers. We then got introduced to Frank Abagnale Sr, played by Dave Arran, and Paula Abagnale, played by Katie Lil Ball. Katie played Paula with a little hint of playfulness, and it was lovely to see some tender moments between her and Daniel. Dave delivered one of the standout performances of the whole show as Frank Sr. He managed to have some lovely moments with Daniel, had the charisma of a smooth talker and conveyed the downfall of the character sensitively. 

One of the highlights for me was Lauren Williams as Brenda Strong. Her solo in the second half was sensational, and she managed to convey the comedy as well as the sadness needed for this character. Some comic relief was given in the form of the bumbling team of agents working with Hanratty, played by Gareth Jones, Rohan Rowlands and Leigh Bamford. Leigh did make me chuckle by eating in nearly every scene he was in. Another impactful duo was Rhian Williams and Neil Parks as Brenda’s parents Carol and Roger Strong. They had a lovely chemistry and some comic moments. Another highlight for me was how well the ensemble all worked together. They were all in sync and managed the numbers well. It was lovely to see 2 of the younger members being included in the big numbers, and they held their own. Well done Amelia and Grace. 

Thank you Briton Ferry for a lovely first introduction to Catch Me if You Can, and your lovely warm welcome. Congratulations to Dean, Naomi and Rhian for a great show. I look forward to seeing what you do next

The views in this report are solely of the author.

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