Journey To Oz

On a cold and wet evening there was a very warm welcome from the First Act team. The show ran for two nights with around 200 in the audience on opening night and 180 on the second night.

The programme was very bright and cheerful and depicted the famous ‘Yellow Brick Road’ with a colourful rainbow in the background. Inside there was a welcome from the Director, Rowan Lathey and a list of staff and cast members. The latter differed, in some instances, over the two evenings.

The set was attractive throughout with some amazing backdrops including butterflies in ‘Wonderland’, a field for the scarecrow and, of course, the ‘Yellow Brick Road’! These were all beautifully enhanced by superb lighting and shimmering curtains. The apron of the stage had a display comprising a rainbow, some flowerpots, a book with ‘Oz’ written on it and a pretty green curtain, all of which was attractive and was a great touch.

The costumes were extremely well thought out and it was clear that cast members really enjoyed wearing them. Glinda’s costume shimmered, the Wicked Witch’s hat made her appear menacing and Toto looked so cute, even when his tail came away! There was no need for too many props but the umbrellas for ‘Raindrops’, which can be difficult to manoeuvre, were handled very well.

This annual Christmas Show told the story of Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and her epic journey.  Every detail had been well thought out. As Dorothy escaped from her chores and headed over the rainbow, the use of silky fabric was wafted by the cast who swayed to denote the power of the twister which transported her and Toto away. The first half of the show told the story of Dorothy meeting her new friends in Wonderland. The second half was concerned with the characters being in the Emerald City where they fell asleep under the spell of the Wicked Witch. Glinda woke them and then Wizard granted them all their respective wishes.

The main characters, namely, Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, both the Wicked Witch and Glinda plus the Wizard of Oz all did a sterling job with energy and commitment. They were ably backed up by the rest of the cast and as ever, well supported by the First Act staff.

The singing and choreography had been well thought out and every member gave their absolute best and kept up quite a fast pace. They filled the stage and gave such enjoyment to continued rapturous applause. A child sitting nearby was shrieking with joy which was delightful. Particularly effective in terms of the choreography, were the robot men dance, the jitterbug and the actions and movement during the rendition of ‘Roar’. In regard to the singing, which was very good throughout, ‘If I Ruled the World’ sung by (Wizard) Aaron Danvers-Jukes, was spine tingling. He has such talent and performed with confidence and apparent ease.

It would be too difficult to pick out any one of the actors as they all performed so well. Sarah Lousie Mc-Evoy was an excellent choice for Dorothy. She always dances with grace and projects her voice with confidence. Toto, played by Martin Sullivan was funny and endearing in equal measures. Jade Hornbuckle (Scarecrow), Nick Yeomans (Tin Man) and Peter Allen (Lion) all played their parts with conviction. Their costumes were probably hot to wear but they coped and looked stunning. Catherine Coeshott excelled as (Glinda) and (Wicked Witch), played by Theresa Rose, had great stage presence, encouraging the audience to boo on her entrances. Her lines were delivered with the correct amount of menace, or humour, as befitted her character.

Full credit must go, not only to both Project Manager, Lottie Laidler and director, Rowan Lathey but also to all the staff and helpers who ensured that entrances, exits and movement were all kept at a very good pace. It really was a demonstration of  team effort at its best.

This was truly an excellent show and one that will be hard to beat, but the First Act group will always take on a challenge and they never disappoint.

Congratulations to everyone involved. It was a stunning show.

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