Class of 22

The Studio Theatre at Bentley House was the perfect venue for Hertford Operatic’s Young Idea to perform their first presentation since lockdown. This all-girl Class of 22 gave us a montage of songs which outlined their different personalities and individual stories typical of young teenagers of today.

The classroom-esk set was decorated with individual box seats all personalized by the cast which could be relocated whenever necessary. Simple but effective. 

At the rear of the space, high on the wall, was located a screen onto which various images were projected throughout the performance. This took the eyeline upwards giving the illusion of depth and space in an otherwise limited acting area. 

Musical Director, Jo Pierce, and her three-piece band, positioned at the rear of the space, played well together and never once over played the singing. An excellent balance between both musicians and performers. Well done.

Overall, this relatively new group of performers did very well for their first time performing in front of an audience. Many of whom I understand had never performed live before. There were however, several items which I believe deserve a special mention.

The opening number “Busted” was ideal as an introduction to the cast following a confident insight to the school by Poppy. Here we were able to recognize the individual characters that are usually found within a group of teenage girls. 

There was some good character work from Siobhan, Chloe, Holly and Kate in their rendition of “Popular”.

“Beautiful” was sung sensitively by Saphie, Amelia and Darcey.

Esther performed “Dream” beautifully and with great feeling. Work on your breath control so that notes can be sustained smoothly. Your voice is a beautiful instrument and I look forward to listening to you again in the future. 

How could I not mention “It’s Raining Men!”. This was a great fun number and the use of the video screen which showed pictures of all the girls “poster boys” made me smile. 

“A Girl” sung by Amelia and “Fine Line” sung by Holly were a perfect match and went so well together. A stunning choice and one that worked because of the intelligent interpretation. 

Likewise, “Hey mom” sung by Ruby and “Whataya” sung by Libby and Ruby, again demonstrated the thought and intelligence behind both performers and I was very impressed.

“Seasons” both sung and signed by the cast showed just how much effort this group of young girls had put into reviving “Young Idea”. 

However, for me, the outstanding performance of the evening was “Hopeful” a rap effortlessly performed by Katie with additional support from Ella, Chloe and the students. I loved it and think this was because it was so unexpected. 

The concept of this whole performance was well executed and details like appropriate hairstyles and footwear associated with the various types of students be they rebels, or conformist worked perfectly.

The production team of Scott Welch, Jo Pierce and Wendy Couldridge collaborated well together, and the end result was a pleasant twist to the reliable concert format and most importantly the cast enjoyed themselves.

Congratulations to you all and thank you for your generous hospitality.

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