Me and My Girl

Such an excellent choice of show especially for the Diamond Jubilee Year, very English, such great fun, and all those wonderful toe-tapping songs; applaud the Union flag and the programme pictures of the Queen and the playing of the National Anthem: really only Cromer would rise to the occasion and celebrate in the right style. Robin Taylor in his first ‘in charge’ show with the team of Posy Walton and Carole Beatty produced an excellent evening’s entertainment with a very good line-up and well cast principals, plus the support of a good singing and dancing team to bring out all the best points of the script and score. Must especially applaud the chorus work in ‘An English Gentleman’. (And Matt Brown once again showed his talents down in the pit).
A very well balanced couple of leads in East McBride (Bill) and Selina White (Sally), they sang and danced well together, interacted well and sparked within the dialogue, and, of course, they had played opposite each other in Shalford’s Emporium last year so were comfortable with each other in style, age, height and size; this was a couple bringing out the best from their roles and making us want to join in and sing with them in those familiar numbers. The ‘other couple’ Kat Tindall (Lady Jacqueline) and Andrew Grey (Gerald) gave their all too, with elegance and style and vamp and good tones from the lady whilst he had the energy and bonhomie and fun and the timing and pace, definitely worth watching. Nona Gray gave us a Duchess to honour: a matriacal tenacity and style and dominance from an elegant diminutive figure, not to be disobeyed but listened to, and when she sang for Hareford what a voice to carry into battle and inspire the family troops, excellent. Nick Bird as Sir John was his expected suave and polished self and with strong portrayal, working well and sympathetically with the younger element of Bill and Sally, bringing out the comedy, and liked his relationship with his love the Duchess. Two lovely reliable character studies from Peter Thrower as Sir Jasper and Maurice Whiting as the Butler; but the prize for the character who almost stole the show goes to Peter Howell as the prissy and fussy and skipping with perfect timing Parchester (a master-class in precision diction and style). And another nice touch to have the pub piano played on stage by Andrew Payne (rehearsal pianist and stage crew and chairman: busy!)
And congratulations are due to the hard working back-stage team who made and then moved with precision the many sets on that small unforgiving stage, a well choreographed team who made it look easy when we know there must have been problems.
Above all the whole company should be congratulated for giving such an upbeat and vivacious show, filled with energy, obviously they had fun on stage and the feeling was infectious and made the audience just feel uplifted and filled with a joyous bubble of well-being: and we all wanted to join in ‘The Lambeth Walk’ and not let the curtain come down.

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