Fame the Musical

Paisley Arts Centre was the venue for Johnstone’s Youth Theatre’s production of the amateur version of “Fame the Musical” (or “Fame Jr”) and the cast adapted easily to this venue where space is at a premium. The production team squeezed the almost impossible from the available playing area and the show ran smoothly throughout to a full and appreciative audience. Set in the early 1980s in the New York High School for Performing Arts, the cast divides neatly into the Students and the Teachers and the story tells of the trials and tribulations of the young Students committing to four years of hard work. Although things have moved on from the time in which the show is set, similar problems resonate with the young people of today. The main musical numbers of the Students were taken by Calum Shiels as “Nick”, Lewis Compston (“Joe”), Keenan Schaefer (“Tyrone”), Fraser Robertson (“Schlomo”), Elise Sandbach (“Carmen”), Neave Herron (“Mabel”), and Alannah Ferguson (“Serena”) all to accompaniment on disc – so little scope for slip-ups! More mature members of the cast were borrowed from the Senior Company and played by Catherine Usher as “Miss Sherman”, Vickie Moore (“Miss Greta Bell”), Kevin McGuire (“Mr Myres”) and Craig Ledgerwood (“Mr Sheinkopf”). The script is quite saucy and the music and choreography challenging but most satisfying. This was  good show for the Youth Theatre to stage and stretched them from their comfort zone.

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