Made in Dagenham

This production had everything – good singing, great dancing, costumes to period and very good acting. The personality of every character was individual and believable. The direction was good, organising all the scenes into a steady flow of action and spreading that action to various area of the space available. Perhaps a few fewer furniture changes may have helped increase the flow even more. However, the scene changes were efficient and created interesting acting areas.  The high energy of the cast, orchestra and crew were commendable.

The set was very well planned and used, making use of many entrances and exits.  The use of the scaffolding gave an extra dimension to the stage area that worked very well, although perhaps creating an easier access to the platforms might have been helpful to the cast. The period kitchen with table, laundry basket, wooden chair and cream dresser with black and white checked backing took us straight into a poor working household. The factory with clocking in machine, old style sewing machines, mechanics in (clean!) overalls and the ‘Dagenham’ banner had a very industrial atmosphere, aided by the scaffolding. The second act banner and lectern for the Eastbourne Trades Union Conference and the stage setting for the Cortina 16E were nicely done.

Lighting played a major role in this staging, with an almost silhouette effect from cross lighting at one stage. The isolation of different sections of the acting space was well done, with little spillage causing problems. Generally, all spaces were well lit and changes were subtle. Spots worked well in highlighting characters appropriately.

The sound effects, especially of the helicopter, were very well timed and executed. However, the difference between actors with and without radio mic’s caused a bit of a problem, as actors without mic’s could not be clearly heard in the auditorium.  Similarly, the music at times was a little loud and drowned the actor’s voices. Having said that, the music was very well played and the energy level and tempi were very good.

The choreography for the show was very well devised and performed. It was lovely to see the mix of characters moving separately, each with their own pathway, it seemed, in the factory scenes. Body language in general was excellent:  the characters felt real and their situations were very well conveyed to the audience.

The costumes were very good! There were some good changes of costume, too, as ‘Rita’ moved up through the Union ranks. The Ford overalls for the men were brilliant, as each could – and did - wear them as they wished. The coat, pipe and cardigan for ‘Harold Wilson’ were lovely and helped to form that character very clearly. The range of late 1960’s dresses for the ladies was amazing. However, this production relied very heavily on the performances of the cast. The London accents, the brash way of communicating, the defined marriage roles and the good earthy humour all contributed vastly to creating the factory and home life of Dagenham of that period. All the cast performed their parts very well in this production, and you all are to be congratulated. The onstage energy was excellent, as was the confidence in the moves, words and music. The commitment to the production was to be envied. This was a very exciting evening of entertainment that was thoroughly enjoyable.

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