Fresh Takes and Timeless Remakes

As is commonly known in my social circle, I do not get along well with concert shows; I find them challenging to both perform in and watch. Jumping from a production like the Rocky Horror Picture Show to Matilda is always a challenge, however this production blew my mind. The ability to move from show to show whilst providing amazing costumes, sets, lighting and fantastic depth in characters; this was all organised during show week by Stage Manager Michael Gillies. Hartlepool Stage Society (HSS) partnered for the first time with Hartlepool Junior Stage Society (HJSS) to provide an emotional, involved and entertaining evening for everyone to enjoy from start to end, filled with quality and joy.

 

Peter Rowlands was the director of the adults ensemble and Sarah Charlton directed the Junior group and both did an incredible job of directing the performance. Peter had felt that concert shows are always harder to put together with much more planning, organisation and and preparation work to be done. Both Sarah and Peter have worked with the cast on every finer detail, from emotional looks between main roles to the ever-changing background action which was constant throughout. The whole cast was involved with nearly every number, this gave the company a huge range of characters to explore.

 

The adult company was choreographed by Elizabeth Marshall and Jill Jackson, assisted by Dance Captain Katie Devine, with the Junior Choreographer led by Viv Kidson. The choreography in this production was varied in style and complexity to assist the different levels of ability and age, this was assisted by having a range of different choreographers available to use their skills and specialities well. One of the standout routines for me was the huge group tap routine, which was stunning from start to end. The song consistently had all the 24+ performers tapping and dancing in perfect unison on the stage, an awe-inspiring sight. A huge accolade needs to go to Jill Jackson for this!

 

The Musical Director was Christine Langridge, taking charge of the songs and music. Christine certainly had a lot on her plate to organise for this show, different styles of music, and the impressive size of the company would also have been a challenge to plan. Working with music tracks can be a challenge, but this group were clearly rehearsed to perfection; none of the songs fell behind or got ahead of the tracks. The company’s singing ability, both chorus and solos, was incredible with songs moving the audience with how beautifully they were sung.

 

There were duets, small group numbers and solos throughout the performance and I now have the difficult job of making sure no one is left out. Throughout all these different shows and styles they were always fitted with incredible-looking costumes where the Wardrobe department was headed by Emily Mooney and assisted by Elizabeth Marshall. I want to say from the off that all the performances were incredible during this show and it fills me with such excitement to be able to come and see the company get stuck into a musical! 

 

The group of young performers were supported and chaperoned by the wonderful support of: Caroline Bell, Julie Clark, Karen Harrison, Becky Hilder, Chelsea Hoggarth, Steph Hornsby, Liv Kidson, Dani McKenzie, Jodie Moir-Young, Helen Moore, Laura Moore, Aisha Oliver-Ahad, Adele Pidd, Erin Spence and Claire Stevent. Without these brilliant people, the show would not be able to go ahead safely and we appreciate the care the company has taken to make these young performers as safe as possible during shows and rehearsals.

 

Act 1 began with The Hunchback of Notre Dame the audience was introduced to this dramatic and musically beautiful setting. The opening number was performed by the Hartlepool Stage Society Ensemble as they filled the stage with vocal power and strong physical presence. A perfect introduction to the very talented, and formidable size of the company, as well as a few of the soloists who pop up many times throughout the show.

Zack Thomas was one of the individuals who played Clopin. We were introduced to Zack at the opening number. Zack’s performance and energy through the first number was fantastic! They had a brilliant voice and often drew the attention of the audience, especially when giving the bits of narration clearly and with good character. Jane Parker was featured in the starting number as a Narrator; she filled the stage with her presence and continued to tell the story with attitude, confidence and charm. Peter Rowlands played Frollo with brilliant expression and emotion throughout the numbers. Peter showed the genuine thoughts of the character and his inner struggles with the situation his brother had put him in. His characterisation and use of gesture towards others on the stage were subtle but helped to paint a real in-depth picture for the audience of what his character was feeling towards others on the stage. He helped to drive the story and made us empathise even more with Quasimodo. We were also introduced to Shane Foster, who featured as Father Dupin as well as several other characters throughout the production. Shane showed different sides to his performances really well and was always interacting with others on the stage to keep the company engaged. One performer we saw featured was the impeccable Chris Toth, starring in The Hunchback of Notre Dame as the heartfelt, gentle and intimidated Quasimodo. His performance was genuine and personal at every word and note, not to mention the time spent singing through the rows of seating to get to his final dramatic singing spot on the upper right side of the circle, overlooking the stage and other audience members, a very visually and musically brilliant performance.

After a dramatic and emotional performance featuring the HSS Ensemble in The Hunchback of Notre Dame we were then transported to the deep blue sea for a fabulous, fun and friendly set of songs from the SpongeBob SquarePants musical. These routines were sung and danced to by the 20-strong HJSS All Stars group and led as ‘lead SpongeBob’ by Carys Barker, the ‘all stars’ group being the youngest in age, but by no means the youngest in talent. The whole group danced and sang with energy and style from start to end! Carys led them with care and enthusiasm, helping to relax them on stage with her own unique and enjoyable performance as their very own friendly sea sponge. 

From rocks in the sea to rock queens, we're officially trading Bikini Bottom for the Tudor court. The switch from 'SpongeBob' to the electric pop musical 'SIX' is probably the biggest channel change I have experienced and I was curious to see how the audience would warm up to such a big change in style. As I said at the start, due to the brilliant use of costumes and lighting the audience were instantly taken from the colourful world of the deep blue to deep in the Tower of London. The audience was engulfed in the drama and sass of the queen’s story; Cara Bearby, Florence Bowes, Ruby Burton, Mollie Crossman, Honey Pidd and Sophie Clarke Turnbull were our featured queens and what a brilliant job they did! Performing with sass and attitude, they got the audience laughing and cheering along.

Next up was the HJSS Dream Team, our second-oldest group of performers, containing 31 of them filling the stage in an imagination-filled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory section. We saw features of soloists from the wider group regarding adults playing parents for the five children; Nathan Dippie as Grandpa Jo, Louise Parks as Mrs Gloop, Emily Mooney as Mr Salt,  Hayley Olley as Mrs Beauregarde and Vicky Coates as Mrs Teavee. Nathan embodied the ageing and gentle-hearted Grandpa Jo brilliantly. Louisa showed the caring and relaxed Mrs Gloop, Emily portrayed the professional but soft-spined Mr Salt with energy and humour, Hayley echoed the performance of her on-stage daughter with sass perfectly, and Vicky showed her desperate and loving version of Mrs Teevee trying to keep control of her firecracker of a son. All parents and children gave brilliant performances and matched the energy and storytelling of the section brilliantly, giving real and in-depth characters even in the short time of seeing them all. Obviously, there is one character not mentioned in this section and that was the brilliant Michael Dignen as Willie Wonka himself. Michael was physically and vocally the embodiment of Wonka; his physical approach to the role was exactly the right amount needed to give the element of wonder without turning everything into a melodramatic mess. His vocals in his songs were spot on, soft in places of emotion and harder where needed to grab attention.

Whole group dances are often an intimidating section of the show to plan and make work for all departments of the creative team. So, to be treated to, not one, but two back-to-back group sequences was a pleasure for anyone in that auditorium. Not only were these good sections, but they were also immense; it was exactly what that place needed in the show. Firstly, a lovely solo section performed by Hayley Olley was a perfect opener to the upcoming routine. The 42nd Street sequence performed by the HSS ensemble, I have to say was breathtaking. Not only the dancing, which I have already credited, but both in character and interactions with each other on the stage it was superb.

Following this was a series of different songs and dances from Bugsy Malone, I think Bugsy Malone has a way to help display incredible examples of what the younger talent can achieve. Bugsy Malone can be made specifically for youth, but only really works when done correctly. HJSS All Stars, Dream Team and Tap Class were stunning. Their work on character development, interactions and the cleanliness of their routines was remarkable. Seeing a polished tap routine by an adult ensemble is always a treat, but to see so many incredibly talented youth also tapping and dancing with such joy and energy, simply warms the soul.

Cabaret was the final section for Act 1, and we were again spoiled to a show of incredible talent, brilliant costumes and lighting, helping to once again completely change the mood and the atmosphere instantly. The use of a minimal set, once again, helped to break up the stage and provide a visually pleasing adjustment to the stage. The performances given by the HSS Ensemble were brilliant; sass, seduction and a little cheeky wink to each other and everyone was set. The audience was hooked on the story and amazed by the brilliant performances given. Chris Toth was back, this time embodying a completely juxtaposing role, with his performance of the controlling, unhinged and elaborate Emcee in the Cabaret sequence. His facial expressions made me sit uncomfortably in my seat and his beady eyes glanced out into the audience and grabbed our attention for his whole time on stage. 

Elizabeth Marshall performed in the closing of Act 1 as showgirl Sally Bowles, hiding her acceptance of the Nazi rise while working as a cabaret singer. Elizabeth played the role with honesty and heart, showing the carefree glamour side of Sally’s personality and lifestyle. Elizabeth’s tone of voice and the stylised performance as a 1930s cabaret singer were perfect and as things progressed for her character. We revisited the song, this time performed with an eerie and perfectly unstable performance from Elizabeth. Her vengeful and harrowing performance given to the audience made me forget where I was, for that time of her performance she was speaking with aggression and bitterness directly to each audience member. An incredible performance to watch.

 

Act 2 couldn't have started with a more fabulous manner, we saw Peter Rowlands return to the stage as the loyal and erratic Riff Raff, performing this character brilliantly alongside his group of dancers and wacky characters. As the witty, humorous and flamboyant Dr Frank-N-Furter was the brilliant Nathan Dippie. Nathan, who in the previous act had been seen as sweet, old Grandpa Joe was now strutting around the stage in a black corsette, stockings and heels. His performance as Frank-N-Furter involved interacting with other characters throughout, creating a funny watch which also hinted at the dark intent underneath.

All the junior groups came together for this fantastic Matilda performance! The lettered building blocks were stacked at the back of the stage, storybooks were handed out and children ready to revolt. All of the HJSS groups were brilliant from start to end, in a selection of songs which look like they were rehearsed to have every movement and gesture planned and performed perfectly. The All Stars performed as the frightened new students brilliantly alongside the Dream Team and Elite Force being the older, experienced, towering older students. Actions and emotions were sharp with all dance steps performed cleanly and with a sprinkling of acrobatic excellence. On top of the ensemble doing a fantastic dance routine, they also involved a throw and catch of one of the members which was executed brilliantly and worked well with the routine. An emotional moment for me was watching the ‘When I Grow Up’ number. The combination of younger members alongside the older youth members; singing together with confidence and smiles on their faces, seeing so many proud and tearful family members in the audience was a really special moment for me.

Next, we saw the brilliant Shane Foster performing the titular song from Sunset Boulevard, a musical I am not very familiar with but the story and characters were shown to us all clearly. Shane showed the trying situation of his feelings towards his silent film star Norma Desmond. Norma was played by the fantastically voiced Jane Parker who sang beautifully and transported us all with her on her emotional journey through the song.

We saw the HJSS Elite Force return to give us a fantastic, sassy and energetic performance in different songs from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Lotus MacDonald played the titular character of Jamie in this sequence and what a fantastic job they did! Lotus showed brilliant characterisation in the portrayal of Jamie and commanded the stage whilst jumping and dancing in heels perfectly. The attitude and strut Lotus gave Jamie was superb. Katie Devine playing the tortured teacher showed brilliant singing and performance skills to clearly and cleverly deliver her piece of fast-paced singing. Her footwork throughout the show is also something to be noted, she was always on the beat and energetic with every move.

Lisa Surtees gave her rendition of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina from Evita, her performance as Eva Peron was a brilliantly cast performance. Lisa did the character and person of Eva Peron justice; her beautiful singing filled the auditorium with the power and emotion of Eva’s beautiful story. Backed near the end of the song by a group of the ensemble, adding even more to the impact of the performance.

Mean Girls was the penultimate musical instalment of the evening; the HJSS Elite Force used all their brilliant characterisation skills to fill the stage with American high school stereotypes. The whole ensemble interacted perfectly with each other to create a very fun and expressive world in which we could learn more about these characters. The members playing the main roles were fantastic, their characterisation was superb, I could believe each of those roles on that stage fully. They also had a brilliant attitude towards each other and the other members of the ensemble, they interacted and performed with feeling and determination.

This brings me to the final piece of the production and I can understand why this was left till the end of the show, it was sensational. The HSS Ensemble were all on stage as Munshkins and then Ozians, each with unique costumes from each other while performing with a larger-than-life persona across the whole stage. The energy, expression and interaction from the entire company was perfect for Wicked and the mood that was being set. Jordan Grylls played the role of Glinda and what a stunning performance she gave. She stood up on the circle singing down to the Munshkins as they looked up in awe which worked perfectly. The company stepped it up again to the next level with incredible costumes and fantastic in-sync dancing throughout the ‘One Short Day’. The staging was clever and worked fluently to move from scene to scene, the quality of this whole section was sensational. I believe it's challenging not to copy a popular piece of media, and with the recent release of both Wicked films, the fear of showing that story differently may scare people. The production team and performers were able to seamlessly integrate elements of the well-known films and stage show with their own ideas and interpretations with perfection. 

Playing Elphaba was the stunning Elizabeth Marshall, after watching her perform in the Cabaret section at the end of Act 1 I thought I had seen the best of her performance…boy was I wrong. Bear in mind that I have only ever seen Wicked on two separate occasions in London at the Apollo Victoria Theatre; Elizabeth’s performance as Elphaba was easily the best performance I have seen. Her vocals throughout were pitch-perfect; this partnered with her beautiful timbre, allowed her to project and fill the space for the duration of some very difficult songs. Even being painted green, wearing all black against her pink and colourful stage partners didn’t stop her performance from shining on that stage. Elizabeth’s character and emotion were clear for the audience to see and feel; she had the audience hanging on every word during her and Jordan’s duets together. After some incredible acting and story-telling from both of them and through tearful eyes, I could just about make out the final image of Elizabeth as Elphaba flying halfway between the stage and the ceiling, black cape flapping and everyone singing in perfect harmony. An emotional and incredible experience which gave me chills, an incredible job Elizabeth!

I do not say this lightly but at times I felt like I was watching a professional West End show; the continuous quality of the performance, costume, lighting and set was incredible and I think I believe I may be a concert convert after seeing this performance.

One final special and emotional moment in this production was seeing the whole company fill the stage at the end, singing, laughing and enjoying being together on that stage which continued backstage after the show. At the end of the day, that is what we are all here for: to perform in a safe, friendly environment where we can be supported and grow together. I can see an incredibly bright future for the creative scene in Hartlepool.

Hartlepool Stage Society, I look forward to seeing you all below my mind again!

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