Kander& Ebb & Modern Musicals

In the words of the opening number “It has been a difficult year…”, - so full credit to Wymsical Theatre for producing this concert under all the prevailing circumstances of the pandemic, this time at the Rose Theatre Kidderminster. Despite an earlier postponement, several weeks of rehearsal missed and sadly in most recent days cast members forced to isolate, Wymsical fulfilled my expectations not least due to the powerful and often poignant direction from invited professional director / choreographer Paul Milton.

The full company numbers were particularly strong from the opening Prologue / Unafraid led by Ella Cain, The Golden Rule (Holmes & McMahon), led by Sam Nield, A Musical (W&K Kirkpatrick) led by Will McCrea and Morgan Wolseley-Charles with great humour and finally Cabaret led by Niamh Thomas. Along the way I particularly liked the Company number Coffee in a Cardboard Cup from “70, Girls, 70” with an excellent slick routine.

When Your Good to Mama sung by Amee Hall and Funny Honey sung by Imogen Humphries from “Chicago” were well interpreted and Thinking of Him was sung by Izzy Davies with great feeling. Sam captured the sensitivity of I Miss The Music from “Curtains”.

Wymsical are never short of soloists and, Kaitlyn Norwood (Show Off), Megan Jones (No One Else) Clara Davies (Kiss Of The Spider Women) all supported well including Amelie Prewer-Jenkinson’s What’s Gonna Happen, from “Tootsie” – a quick fire number well handled.

Occasionally the size of the venue challenged projection, but this I am sure will be overcome with experience. The music was well balanced in the capable hands of MD Stephen Watkins.

I enjoyed the sequence from “Six, The Musical” which was very good (Emily Kitkat, Ellie Morris, Niamh, Kaitlyn, Ella and Amelie), and too the moving quartet Dear One sung by Will, Sam, Niamh and Ruby Davies, as well as the duet Only Us by Phoebe Jones & Morgan.

No matter who was singing, the entire company were engaged throughout and exercised the required current discipline in respect of movement and staging in general. It was a pleasure to be invited and I look forward to “Calamity Jane” in a ‘Field Near You’ when this is possible.

Bruce Wyatt

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