Flight of Fancy

Musical compilations can be tricky and often like the “Curate’s Egg” good in parts, but with this production TIPPS came up with a clever theme, using air travel to take its audience on a whistle stop tour around the globe. The stylishly attired air-hostesses welcoming the “passengers” on-board serving drinks and snacks in true air-line fashion, together with authentic props, side projection and familiar announcements all contributed to a real “in-flight” experience. The opening number Come Fly with Me was just right, and travelling to the Far East, America, Africa, and Greece, gave the Players plenty of opportunity to recapture well-known foot-tapping, and nostalgic numbers of stage and screen. Highlights included The King & I and the Broadway medley, and the sequence from The Lion King with the Juniors was very effective. The Mama Mia spoof was great fun and well performed but was perhaps a touch too long, while the thought provoking story-telling, and short play written by Yvonne Anning, interspersed effectively between the musical numbers. The serenades with songs and guitar from the Captain were warmly performed and received, and helped to enable the scene changes behind, but perhaps a costumed flight attendant could have been used to set and strike the chair.  It was lovely to see such a mix of performers working together on stage, with ages ranging from 8 to 80 years, and such diverse entertainment from energetic tap-dancing to delightful and melodious harmony singing. Fog in the city causing a diversion to Ireland and Wales on the way home gave clever opportunity for more song and dance, and the safe landing onto “the roof-tops of London”, with a striking familiar sky-line, made for a rousing finale. Musical numbers with some talented singing and dancing were well arranged and performed in this frenetic, fast moving and packed programme which called for tremendous support from the costume department and backstage team, who pulled out all the stops. Congratulations to the whole Company and Crew for the energy, enthusiasm and team spirit in this innovative production!

‘Tricia Barclay

NODA Representative District 6

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