First Act Take On The World

The setting for this production was in a local rugby club field. Thankfully the weather was perfect with sunshine and a gentle breeze. The rain arriving just as everything was being packed away at the end. The audience of around 250 were settled after their picnic and musical interlude ready to be entertained. We were not disappointed!

The cast, of around 45, on a raised concrete platform, were seated in their respective groups, namely Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. The front and a central aisle being used as performance space, which despite being quite compact, worked extremely well. Credit must go to the Helpers who, unobtrusively, guided and ensured that everything flowed smoothly and that everyone had the chance to shine.  Indeed the action, despite being at a rapid pace, flowed smoothly. The whole cast clearly enjoyed themselves during this very entertaining show and must be congratulated on the seamless way in which they moved into each piece.

The area at the back of the platform was decorated with National flags fluttering in the breeze, which together with the mixed brightly coloured tee shirts, worn by the cast, made a vibrant and pleasing display. The open-air venue and lack of scenery in no way detracted from an extremely enjoyable show.

The programme had a colourful front page and details of every piece and names of all cast members under their respective groups.

The Show opened and closed with the beautiful voice of Aaron Danvers-Jukes, ably backed by the whole cast with ‘They Live In you’. We were taken on a magical journey around the World from the African Sahara, Southern Italy, Arabia and the United States of America. On this journey we were entertained with songs and comedic drama sketches.  Each group also gave us some rousing sea shanties.

The other soloists, namely, James Soley, Johanna Draper and Martin Jones were all excellent. Johanna sang a very moving rendition of ‘New York, New York’ which was superb.

There was a lot to learn as all the songs were accompanied by actions and a vast number of differing dance steps. Whilst it is difficult to pick any one cast member out, Sarah-Louise McEvoy gave a brilliant performance throughout. Her dancing was a joy to watch. Of particular enjoyment was the complicated dance routine to ‘Better When I Am Dancing’.

Congratulations must go to everyone. The Tutors had devised a wonderfully creative show which was delivered with joy and obvious pleasure throughout. The hard work paid off and there is no doubt that First Act’s next production of Cinderella, planned for November, will be worth waiting for.

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