Disney's Finding Nemo Jr

Congleton Amateur Youth Theatre were back on stage with their production of ‘Disney’s Finding Nemo Jr’, based on the Pixar film. This production was directed by Crystal Holford, with assistance from Olivia Gill. The staging was very good, with a screen dominating the back of the stage with a platform in front. There were some great set pieces brought on to establish locations, and the audience were certainly transported under the sea. Having the catwalk from the auditorium to the stage was a great choice for characters to enter and exit from. It allowed the audience to become immersed into the production as well. Transitions were good throughout the production, and the pace was good. There were some great moments throughout, such as the jellyfish scene, which was staged really well. The jellyfish were creatively made and looked great. Having the deep sea diver opening the chest in the tank was genius, showing great attention to detail. All of the cast looked confident in what they are doing, which is a great credit to Crystal and Olivia. Costumes were inventive, bright and colourful, and really helped to distinguish the multitude of sea creatures encountered throughout the production. Well done to Angela Vickers and Cath Sims for your work.

Alex Williams was the musical director for this production. The cast performed to backing tracks and did well with this. There was obvious work gone into the songs, with solo numbers sung well. The ensemble numbers were good.

Choreography came from Olivia Gill and Crystal Holford, with assistance from April Cook and Maddie Holford. The choreography was simple, but nothing else was needed. The cast performed it well.

The technical elements were good throughout. The sound balance between the backing tracks and cast was spot on – everything could be heard. The lighting design was good, helping to create the different locations. The green lighting used when the tank was dirty was good. The animated backdrops, created by Simon Matthews were fantastic, and elevated the production. They were original, but had the charm of the film. Great work.

Taking on the role of Nemo was Charlie Gill. Charlie gave a secure performance as Nemo, with a pleasing vocal. Charlie appeared comfortable and totally at ease on stage, and formed good relationships with the rest of the cast.

Mason Royall did well as Marlin, despite not feeling 100%. He was able to show Marlin’s anxious character, wanting to protect his son. Mason’s vocals were good, and he created a good partnership with Chloe.

Chloe Furlong was suitably aloof as Dory. There were some lovely comedic moments that were well played by Chloe. There were some excellent facial expressions, and Chloe’s vocals were good. She proved to be a good foil to Mason’s Marlin.

The trio of Arthur Wedgbury, Oscar House and Joey Turnery worked well together as Bruce, Anchor and Chum. Arthur particularly impressed, and nailed the voice and accent of Bruce. This was a great comedic role.

The Tank Gang, made up of Leah Owens (Gurgle), Riley Shelmerdine (Gill), Lily Bailey (Peach), Lottie Riley (Bubbles), and Riley Simmons (Bloat), all worked well together, forming a cohesive unit. It was pleasing to see that each had developed their own individual characters that complimented each other.

Ronnie Sharpe-Woodcock showed great vocals as Crush and led the ensemble well in ‘Go With the Flow’. Junior Dale showed some great athleticism as Squirt.

The ensemble played a number of minor roles between them, as well as coming together for the bigger musical numbers. Everybody looked confident, knew what they were doing, and most importantly were having fun!

Overall, this was an enjoyable production. The staging really brought you under the sea, there were some good performances from this young cast, and the direction was good.

A big thank you to everyone at Congleton Amateur Youth Theatre for their kind invite and their hospitality.

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