Hello Dolly

A great show which surprisingly has not been performed too much recently in the area with a amusing storyline, and a show which has a happy ending all round.

Clare Kane as Dolly Gallagher Levi was totally in command of this role, a super part to play, and her dialogue was spot on with a natural ease on stage which shone through. The vocal requirements of Dolly are demanding with a range of voice from Alto through to High Soprano, and for Clare coping with a virus which affected her singing voice was not easy, but mostly her stage presence made up for the vocals.

As with all the ladies in this production I felt far more stage makeup would have enhanced the brightness of their faces. With large hats which tended to shadow some of their faces more make up would have added lightness and animation, although to their credit all were smiling and gave their all throughout the show.

Malcolm Burren as Horace Vandergelder looked so immaculate and carried his role off very well. The clever dialogue between Dolly and Vandergelder was very well placed. The dialogue is so beautifully written it is always good to enjoy the repartee between the two of them.

Cornelius Hackle played by Greg Smith always gets right into any character he undertakes and puts his own stamp on it. I liked David Wiggens as Barnaby Tucker. In this character he looked rather like Don Estelle of “It ain’t Half Hot Mum” fame and paired well with Cornelius.

Mrs Molloy with Fioana Morris was on good form, and Sara Rout as Minnie Fay played her as a gentle sweet character with a lovely smile.

I thought the Harmonia Gardens Scene was really good. The Waiters Gallop was extremely well done in quite a restricted space for  a lot of frantic running about, and the part of Rudolph was well played by Richard Grieve with an authority befitting of his role.

The costumes were very attractive and the lighting good.

Several other roles fitted well into the production; Ernestina, Ambrose, Kemper, Ermengarde, Mrs Rose and so the list goes on and all were essential in the story of “Hello Dolly”.

Hilary Brunning as Musical Director had worked hard with the singing, and a good balance came through between the ladies and gents.

Supported by Joe Richardson a fantastic accompanist  who brings so much quality and experience in his playing,and Dan Edwards on Percussion a really good blend and tempo was achieved.

Mary Williamson directed the company to their very best standard in this well loved show, and the cast all looked confident and worked so well together.

 Congratulations to the entire company whether on stage or helping with the many important roles backstage and front of house,people who are not often seen  so do not always get the credit deserved.

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