Grease

Many congratulations to the group (DOSYTCo) for winning District 5 Youth Production with ‘Hairspray’, and certainly this year’s show bears out the talent and must be a contender again.

The production team of Chris Dilley, Helen Cowie, Jodie Quirke and Olivia Dolman really brought out the talents and exploited all aspects of the performing group into a fantastic team (40) filled with mega-energy and slickness of performance: character-wise, musically and fast-footed movement all showed dedication on the part of the performers and brought to fruition by encouragement and training, this was truly a show to be proud of and played by the right age-group.

From the opening video of Vince Fontaine from Declan Matwij, the male side of the cast were on to a winner: great teenagers for the named roles T-birds but not to forget those smaller chorus members who are the future, and their energy particularly in the dance routines where they were step perfect showed the strength of the whole group. Ollie Ludman as Kenickie leading the T-bird gang gave a very strong performance and obviously really influenced all his mates, Tom Jones as Roger had some great comedy moments, strong performances from Harrison Matwij (Doody) and Josiah Blake (Sonny), and outstanding in stage presence and vocally Alfie Mazzei as heartthrob Danny. And in non-Ts, Joseph Chapman as Eugene, Joseph Reed as Jonny in the Elvis lookalike, and Elliott Hunter overwhelming all as Teen Angel: who says that teenage males cannot sing and dance with the best and steal the stage from all contenders: look forward to them moving on eventually into senior staging with talent (or possibly stage school).

Naturally the female side of the casting must have caused real problems for the production team with a plethora of outstanding talent, so where does one begin. Sandy is the leading lady and needs the vocal capacity plus style and acting and dance, Emily Baker fulfilled all criteria and worked so well with Danny as well as relations with the girls. In the Pink Ladies, loved the ‘wigs’ and style and fun of Maisie Dolman as Frenchy, the eating capacity of Sophie Chapman as Jan (dancing must negate calories), the bitchiness and hidden unhappiness but full-on personality and style of Jess Biggam as Rizzo (her first lead role and definitely not the last as she was riveting), and the ‘cannot take my eyes off’ Marty of Olivia Dolman (in addition to assistant choreographer and ‘A’ levels) was very special in performance and destined for stage school; this gang of girls were a team and physically and mentally attuned into a special unit. Good performances too from Charlotte Bunting as Miss Lynch, Amy Wynton as Patty, and great dancing from Ellie Mason as Cha Cha.

However talented the principal roles, it was the big company numbers which stole this show with amazing singing and phenomenal dance routines of energy sapping rigour and so well rehearsed to be perfect for all the cast whatever the age (7 to 18), a joy to watch and listen and feel exhausted from the audience.

And one should mention the crew and particularly the car (storage in wings?)!

Well done to all, deserving the sell-out show!

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