Jukebox Summertime

I received a lovely warm welcome from Sue Maplestone and the Front of House team. The openstage had a very striking set along the theme of an American diner on stage which was vibrant andwell constructed and flowed into the downstage exterior set, all of which were very well designed,constructed and painted by Len and Val Munns, Kyle Watts and Emma Cranwell, who also providedthe props. The colourful wardrobe and costumes were put together extremely well by the team, inkeeping with the era and beautifully made in some cases. The sound and lighting design was varied
and well applied, however there were one or two sound issues with personal mic packs that couldhave been avoided. Lynne Peera and Emma Cole’s choreography was very good for the most part however it did look a little regimented, maybe in future you could look at taking advantage of the dual levels and vary the moves accordingly. Also whilst I am impressed with the achievement of getting every member of the cast on stage, I do think that sometimes less is more, because you allow the cast more space for movement and expression. The band under the musical direction of Maria King
were brilliant and clearly loved the songs that they were playing. With a review like this it is the job of the Director and Assistant, Val and Len Munns , to pick the best songs that tell the back story, as there was in this production with music from the fifties and sixties, and get the performers to bring them to life with their talent and performance. I think that Val and Len should be very proud of their cast and crew as they all did a great job. I really felt that after many months of waiting that summer had finally arrived in Capel St Mary. Ella Cooper and Hadyen Wise provided an extra special touch of class with
their superb ballroom standard dancing.
This was a show full of fun and enjoyment that was thoroughly enjoyed by the cast, myself and the audience in equal measure.

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