Chess - the Musical

Chess the musical  

Written by: Benny Anderson, Tim Rice, Björn Ulvaeus 

Performed by: Weston Operatic Society (WOS) 

Date: Saturday 30th September, 2023

Directed by: Annie Ford and Georgina Barry 

Choreographers: Samantha Aylott and Felicity Berry 

Musical Director: Matthew Tilke 

The Playhouse Theatre Weston Super Mare 

Noda Rep: Mike Purnell 

Firstly I must say thank you so much to WOS for doing one of my favourite  musicals. Without doubt one of the best scores of the 1980’s. It’s been a huge part  of my musical life, having bought the concept album back in 1984. Scares me to  death to think next year will be its 40th anniversary! This musical takes no  prisoners when it comes to vocals and each individual has to be at the top of their  game to make it a success. I must say my expectations were well met and some! 

Thanks for the lovely welcome from Ken Cole’s ready and waiting with my program  and nice to catch up with Felicity giving me some backstage knowledge on the  production. Great to see a very warm welcoming front of house team.  

Well I might as well be honest, this show I came away from having hardly written a  thing. I was completely spell bound from beginning to end. This really was a first  rate cast and as I always say if you get that right you are already on the home  stretch.  

A good choice to go with just the one set which looked very impressive and  perfect use of the screens without being over powering to the performances. They  created very suitable backdrops to many of the scenes, my favourite being the  Mountain Duet. It was so atmospheric. Well done the projections team. Good use  of props throughout just bringing on the boxes to sit on were more than adequate  and good use of the stairs to create some great pictures and very nice framework  to a lot of the scenes. Just being a bit nit picky, a larger chess board would have  been a bit more effective even from row c it looked small and I suppose  considering it’s the musicals subject would have been a bit more impressive. One  other little thing the envelope delivered to Anatoly to tell him his car was there for  him was very obviously empty, just little details but add to the bigger picture.  One small detail I loved was the colour of the lipstick chosen for the chess pieces  during their numbers. Perfect. The red shone through brilliantly and just added that  bit of colour that was needed in the scene that was all but black and white.  

The show ran very swiftly, it is a long show but really didn’t feel it as each scene  was virtually back to back. This created some rather quick costume changes for a  few individuals but it felt from out front that this was managed perfectly. This is  where dressers come into their own and what a great team you had. Well done to  them. 

Orchestra  

Looking through the list of names in this line up I knew this was going to be  special. Ably led by Matthew Tilke. I honestly believe this is as good as it gets. The  whole sound throughout was perfect. Very well balanced by the sound team. Not  once was my attention drawn to you which is the best sign. The whole score was  brought to life. It was pitched perfectly during solos and added great support to  the bigger chorus numbers. No more to be said. Pitch perfect.  

Sound  

As I said above this was brilliantly executed. The levels were perfect and clarity  and warmth with the vocals and the orchestra were fantastic. One time I could  hear a backstage voice coming over the speaker or could have been a taxi. Who  knows, these things happen but cueing was exceptional.  

Costumes  

Congrats to the costume team. This was quite a challenge and I enjoyed seeing  the final result. Great work with co ordinating them all and well done to the great  team of dressers.  

Company  

This was a great team effort from onstage performers to backstage singers  including all backstage help. Good slick stage management all helped towards the  success of this show.  

Choreography  

This was very well executed. With two first rate choreographers I was in no doubt  this would enhance the show no end. And I was right. I loved how so many  different styles of dance were used. The ballets were particularly good and really  did just add to the story. We don’t often see this form of choreography in musicals  but the pictures and shaping you both created were simply lovely. Very enjoyable.  

If I was being completely honest I was a little underwhelmed with One Night in  Bangkok. This felt just a little too subtle. It’s the one number where colour and  larger than life characters can come to the fore. It was unusual not to see Freddy  with a hand held mic and being followed by a camera man as he has now become  a reporter. I wondered whether the audience would be trying to work out what was  happening in the story line. (I was probably the only one thinking this, I’m sure  everyone else was just enjoying the scene)  

Movement was always very slick and I felt each member was just pushed to their  limits. Great work. 

Florence  

This character takes a while to make her mark on the show. It’s quite a long way in  before we get to properly meet you. But you made a great impression when you  did. We had no doubt of your frustrations with Freddy. This was a powerhouse  vocal performance. Even on a Saturday night when the voice gets a bit tired, it still  soared to those top powerful notes. Very impressive. I must say also your make up  was lovely, just the right colouring for you and costumes looked very good on you.  I was waiting for the moment when you and Anatoly “clicked” just a look, a  realisation or a gesture which normally comes somewhere in the quartet, maybe I  missed it. It just means when you do come together in mountain duet ( which was  superb) the audience aren’t left thinking oh how did that happen? Just needed that  little building brick. A great emotional performance with pipes to match.  Congratulations.  

Anatoly  

I’m sure everyone has already said to you about the heights you hit in Anthem, well  I was in a group of four and one was in tears the rest of us couldn’t move or speak  for a while. To say this was a tingly moment is an understatement. Just wonderful.  But let’s not forget all the other songs you sang so wonderfully too. “ Where I want  

To Be” “Mountain Duet” and “You and I” were all so well sung. Plenty of passion  and emotion. The audience were with you all the way through the show.  

Costumes were absolutely fine. If I were to give a little bit of advice I’d just say  watch you don’t over gesture in your songs. Let the eyes do more of the work to  bring the audience in and as this musical is sung through it’s almost like a dance  you need to act through all the music. The one example that came to mind was the  intro to Anthem it’s quite long and you dropped the suitcase behind you and  walked forward and stood waiting for your first note to sing but there was still  quite a few seconds. It could have been something simple as a look back to  Florence or even just a scan of the audience. That is really nit picking but just  something to think about for the great future you have ahead of you. This  performance was so well thought through and extremely enjoyable.  Congratulations  

Freddy  

What a powerhouse you are. You took up this challenge with full guns blazing. As  soon as you hit the stage we got your character. The arrogance came through but  as the show progressed your vulnerability also came to the fore. Yes it was  Saturday night of a two show day and boy are those songs challenging but what I  love about your experience and training, is you had the acrobatics of voice to get  to where you needed to be. “Pity the child” was probably the most challenging but  you really did yourself proud. A really nice thought through character from  beginning to end. Costumes, hair and makeup just perfect. Can’t wait for the next  one. Congratulations 

Arbiter  

I was excited to see you play this role. Worked perfectly. You really made it our  own. If the keys weren’t changed for you, which I doubt, your singing was  admirable and held your own throughout. Diction was spot on and I must say you  coped so well with going up and down those stairs. Such confidence. The only  thing I would have suggested was that you would have had a splash of colour  somewhere. All the other lead characters had this and whilst you were leading the  chorus it would have just depicted you out a bit more especially when placed  towards the back. Just a small thing but didn’t stop me totally being invested in  your performance. Well done.  

Molokov  

Every look every gesture was just perfect for this “horrid” character. The audience  loved you though so you hit it just right. What I was saying earlier about acting  through all the music even if not being sung you got. I noticed the polishing of the  glasses or even the tidying up of your tie. Experience always shines through.  Attention to detail was excellent. The harmonies and all your sung vocals hit us  right between the eyes. Loved this performance very much. Congratulations  

Walter  

An integral part of the jig saw or shall we say Chess board. You were totally  focused throughout and although a bit of a rogue you won the audience over. You  looked just right, the brown jacket just perfect to stand you out and really held your  own amongst a very strong set of leads. I enjoyed all the business you added  whilst you weren’t the focus, you hit just the right level. Well done.  

Svetlana  

You have such a beautiful voice. You really deserved this part, a great chance to  show off those vocals. I was mesmerised during “ Someone Else’s Story” just  perfect. “End Game” too gave you a chance to show what you could do. The  power in your voice came through very strongly.  

I can’t not mention “I Know Him So Well” this was the one the audience were  waiting for. The anticipation and gasp from the audience when the intro started  really made me smile. It really did not disappoint, I’m a massive fan of the original  and it took all my reserves not to sing along. I could have listened to this again and  again. I wasn’t too sure about the aggression shown at the end to Anatoly but it  was good to see it played a slightly different way. Diction perfect. Great  performance. Well done  

All other parts were played brilliantly and put the final pieces into that perfect  Chess board. Special mention to the Civil servants. Nice bit of comedy just where  it was needed. 

Directors  

This was a wonderful nights entertainment. It still remains one of my favourites  without a doubt and nothing disappointed me in this production. I remember  reading a note from Sir Tim Rice during a production I was in and he said  something like, they never really felt that they got this show just right and therefore  (unusually) he gave the directors carte blanche to direct the show and running  order however they see fit. I’m glad you didn’t make too many changes and I think  your vision of the set is what made this show work a treat. Simple but effective and  led by some of the strongest lead characters I’ve seen in any show in a long time,  adding effective lighting and the perfect sound team you were onto a huge  success.  

Just a couple of observations: during the Quartet two of the characters were  completely hidden behind each other so most of the centre stalls couldn’t see the  Arbiter and Molokov until they all Iined up at the front. I’d have like to have seen  Svetlana come downstage during “Someone Else’s Story” just seemed a shame  she was tucked away when we hadn’t seen her during act one. This was her  moment to shine. Like wise with “I Know Him So Well” seemed strange we saw  both ladies walk half way up the stairs and then start to sing. It left a huge blank  space in between them and us nearer the front could only see one at a time. These  are just my opinions and I doubt anyone else in the audience gave it a second  thought.  

To finish up I loved loved loved it. Congratulations to you both on a superb night  that will stay with me for a very long time.  

Thanks so much to everybody for your kind hospitality. Look forward to seeing you  all soon for the next one.  

Best wishes  

Mike.

 

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