Fame

The show’s Director/Choreographer Sallie Warrington working with Rachael Plunkett as Musical Director ensured that this production was rich in talent, imagination, energy and pace.  

Based on the 1980 phenomenal pop culture film of the same name, this show follows the lives of students at the New York City High School of Performing Arts as they manage the many highs and lows of teenage life.   

The role of the ambitious actress Serena Katz was played to great effect by Eleanor Softly, who managed to entertain the audience and give a very emotional performance. The role of Nick Piazza, the determined actor, was taken by James Cohen – he and Softly both gave excellent solo performances whiles also working well together. Declan Wright was hilarious in the role Joe Vegas - the wisecracking comedian and bad boy. The fame-obsessed Carmen Diaz was very well played by Eleanor Hudson - I particularly enjoyed her rendition of the title song. Hudson took her character from being an overconfident aspiring performer to the rock bottom of failure and untimely death with great passion.    

Tilly Darragh was very entertaining in the role of Mabel Washington and Danielle Griggs played the role of impoverished dancer Iris Kelly beautifully. Monty Irving played bad boy dancer Tyrone Jackson with great energy while engaging the audience in the story line of his hidden dyslexia. There were dramatic exchanges between him and Maria Madren, playing Head of PA, Miss Sherman – which both actors carried off well. The roles of the teachers were taken by Drew Seal (Mr Sheinkopf), Peter Brown (Mr Myers) and Emma Woolner (Miss Bell) all of whom gave great character performances. Madren and Woolner presented a very powerful dramatic duet about the conflicting demands faced by the students in a school of performing arts who are still required to attain high academic grades. James Boatwright was engaging in the role of quiet violinist Schlomo Metzenbaum who together with Cody Gray (drummer Grace Lamb), Matthew Wallace (Goodman King) all gave talented and enthusiastic performances.  

Every member of the cast on stage demonstrated a real commitment to ensuring that the production was entertaining and fast paced – maintaining their characters throughout. They filled the stage with vibrant dance numbers which had been cleverly choreographed to demonstrate some impressive talent and gave strong vocal performances. 

The set, costumes, light and sound were great for this production.   

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