Company

 

Company

Written by Stephen Sondheim

Performed by Exmouth Musical Theatre Company

At The Blackmore Theatre, Exmouth

On Friday 14th November 2026

Directed by Chloe Faine

Musical Director – Angela Blackmore

 

Exmouth Musical Theatre Company’s staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Company at The Blackmore Theatre made full and clever use of the venue’s intimate scale, resulting in a production that felt immediate, warm, and emotionally engaging. In a space where every expression and lyric carries directly to the audience, the company rose to the challenge with crisp performances and confident storytelling. The Blackmore Theatre’s smaller auditorium proved an ideal match for Sondheim’s character-driven musical. Instead of relying on lavish sets, the production leaned into nuance—subtle looks, tight ensemble work, and detailed character interactions that landed beautifully in the close-up environment. The intimacy heightened both the comedy and the poignancy, drawing the audience into Bobby’s world with remarkable clarity.

At the centre, Bobby played by Brad delivered a layered performance, and his rendition of “Marry Me a Little” felt especially vulnerable and sincere, with every shift in emotion fully visible and resonant.  The couples—Sarah & Harry, Peter & Susan, Jenny & David, Amy & Paul, and Joanne & Larry—each created sharply defined relationships. 

Sarah and Harry performed by Issy and Alan were so believable as they bickered constantly whilst hiding their desire for food or alcohol and they sang with utter conviction and control of the score. Natalie and Jack  were very funny as they navigated their alternative relationship and again had strong vocals and natural acting ability. Jenny and David played by Rachel and Hugh were perfect together. The subtlety of Rachel’s acting as Jenny was beautiful especially the moment she feels almost commanded by David to do as he says and the scene where they all smoked weed was just a pure acting class from all three characters. Jenny, David and Bobby. 

Penny was extraordinary in the role as the cynical, sarcastic Joanne, wealthy, married four times and still looking for some kind of satisfaction and her rendition of “Ladies who Lunch” had the audience cheering with appreciation. Her put upon, yet gorgeous husband Larry, was performed by Mark with subtlety showing his love for Joanne, no matter her foibles. Beautifully sung too by Mark who has a tenor voice to die for. 

Amy’s whirlwind “Getting Married Today” performed by Alinka was a standout moment for me with its rapid-fire, G&S style patter delivery and made even more impressive within the intimate acoustics of the theatre.  Paul, the happiest husband to be, gave an ingenious performance as he navigates his wife’s mental breakdown during a wedding-related crisis; making this relationship so very believable.

 Each of the ensemble couples had natural chemistry which made the friendships feel lived-in and authentic.

Bobby’s three love interests were expertly played by Emma as Marta, Molly as April and Robyn as Kathy.  These three, as with the ensemble, were perfectly cast for these roles. Marta’s “Another Hundred People” was as exciting as her character and sang with style. “Barcelona” and the bedroom scene between April and Rob was skilfully acted by these two and had the audience rolling with laughter. Finally, Kathy, whose acting was poignant as she gently tells Bobby she is moving to Cap Cod to marry another.

 All of these wonderful young actors produced terrific vocals throughout and the harmonies in “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” were how Sondheim himself would have liked it sung; I am sure. 

The Director, Chloe Faine helmed the production with a clear understanding of both Sondheim and the venue. The staging was efficient, making clever use of limited space without feeling cramped. A cleverly designed sideboard, situated rear centre stage had a changeable screen showing various photographs throughout the production. Also doubling up as a drink’s cabinet and a pull-down table for the club scene. Alongside were two movable trucks which were used as a seat, table, bed, sofa, or blanket box throughout. The scene transitions were expertly handled solely by the cast members, allowing easy transitions and smart blocking keeping scenes dynamic while ensuring the audience was always drawn to the emotional core of each moment.

With Angela Blackwell guiding the musical direction, the cast handled Sondheim’s notoriously intricate vocals with assurance. Recorded music was used for this production mainly due to the space issues but this took nothing away from the quality of the presentation. Harmonies were tight, every vocal performance was clear and performed with confidence. 

Lighting and sound design embraced the theatre’s scale, enhancing mood while remaining unobtrusive. Costumes added personality and the use of whites, blacks and greys only was very creative and helped define characters. 

In the cosy and atmospheric surroundings of The Blackmore Theatre, Exmouth Musical Company delivered a thoughtful, polished, and heartfelt Company. This production showcased not only the group’s talent but also how powerful Sondheim’s work can be when performed up close. A witty, moving, and thoroughly engaging evening of theatre. 

Lyn Burgoyne   Noda Representative South West District 5 (Mid and East Devon)

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