Kipps The New Half A Sixpence Musical

If ever a stage was built to perform Kipps The New Half A Sixpence Musical on , it is Stockport Plaza. The stage is wide- which immediately lends itself to all the intricate full dance numbers and the general "bigness" of this show. Kipps is definitely not a pared back musical, Paul Lawton as Musical Director did an incredible job of  controlling his many musicians and vocalists on stage. The layering of the musical notes combined with the many harmonies certainly kept him on his toes and very active in the centre of the pit, he kept great pace throughout the show in some fantastically big, energetic numbers which used the whole cast, one such number which I must mention is of course the well known "Flash, Bang, Wallop" timing in this is everything . I would imagine that both cast and musicians are glad that that particular number is the penultimate one of the show as it is exhausting, it's a bit like a steam train thundering home, once it sets off you just have to go with it!
Romiley Operatic Society brought their train home with all the bells and whistles required, I do know that there was a nasty sickness bug raging through the cast and this did have an effect on some of the scenes - they seemed to lack a certain energy, I also realise that a lot of the cast haven't ever experienced a stage as large and imposing as Stockport Plaza and again I did feel that this threw some of them but the audience around me certainly enjoyed the performance.

Michael McCaw as Director astounded us with his vision and execution of time passing , it was very simple and yet so clever to show Artie and Ann as children and then as moving flats slid into place they were replaced by seamlessly by Artie and Ann as adults, very effective. The set itself was a fairly modern idea of hand drawn black and white facades and lampposts that were stretched, printed and mounted on the moving flats and stands, it worked perfectly and gave the musical a very timeless feel. A few trucks were used for the shop counter and the bar, some chairs and tables, in reality quite a minimal looking set which allowed the dance numbers all the space they needed. 
Tracy Harper as choreographer is no stranger to this stage space and she unleashed all her energy, expertise and enthusiasm to bring us some dazzling footwork, she even threw in a couple of tap sections - perfectly in time, well executed and not just a simple shuffle, timestep or a pick up, a soft shoe shuffle section as well as the high energy big dance numbers that this show demands as standard.

The lighting plot was gentle and in sync with the scenes and it added a lovely atmospheric layer throughout. Costumes were hired in from Charades Theatrical Costume Hire and were of a very good standard, I particularly enjoyed the visual delight of the black and greens for "Pick Out A Simple Tune " at Lady Punnet's party. All the costumes and make up looked as fresh at the end of the show as at the beginning- no mean feat after all the flinging and jumping about that the cast did. 
The ensemble are incredibly hard working in this show , they have to slot into dialogue and create movement around the Principal characters without detracting from the ongoing dialogue, move props around and they also have to burst into song and high energy dances at the drop of a hat. All the movements were executed to a high standard and there was some great synchronisation.

Gary Jones as Chitterlow showed us a fabulous, full bodied characterisation, at times there were glimpses of his "Fagin" but it worked within this character. Gary is what is known as a triple threat and you are comfortable that you are in safe hands when he appears, he gave us some strong vocals and movement effortlessly, from the moment he burst onto the stage he instantly lifted the energy and at no point during the show did his levels drop. He had some great chemistry with Arthur Kipps played by Ben MacKenzie - I particularly enjoyed their drunk scene and number, they both kept it nicely under control and didn't get swept along , their timing during the putting on of the jacket was fabulous.

Ben also had some lovely chemistry with both his leading ladies Amy Mason as Helen Walsingham and Kirsty Podlaski as Ann Pornick. They both gave some good strong vocals , diction and enunciation was good, they looked very at home on the stage and used their space well. Kirsty in particular emoted beautifully throughout, she was more rough and raw round the edges in her characterisation . Gavin Chadwick as Mr Shalford took command of the stage as soon as he appeared, his bombastic characterisation worked perfectly and was a great foil for the gentle flapping Carshot played by Philip Gibbons. Philip also played Lady Punnet and I must say Bravo! I loved his characterisation as the cheeky dowager, he put me very much in mind of Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot. I do however feel it unfair that he appears to walk better in heels than I do. Deni Griffiths as Sid Pornick was a lovely strong character, he didn't rush, his dialogue was clear and his vocals were good, he had some great scenes with Daniel Eccles as the comedic ,ever hungry Buggins, they showed some nice timing and bounced well off each other. Janine Royle as Mrs Walsingham and Chesney Talbot as James Walsingham portrayed their entitled, snobbish characters delightfully, projection was good from both , I particularly enjoyed Janice's use of facial expressions- they were big, haughty and definite - perfect for her character.

Well Done Romiley Operatic Society on your production of Kipps, myself and my guest enjoyed ourselves and thank you for your hospitality. I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

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