Me and My Girl

WHEN Stephen Fry revised the book of Me and My Girl in the late 80s it signalled a surge of interest in the 'Lambeth Walk' musical which is still proving popular today. Originally penned in 1937, the humour is very much 'end-of-the-pier' variety, but in the right hands still has the capacity to draw the laughs. So the Marsden Society were fortunate to have on board Michael Mills who worked his behind off to bring the chirpy cockney character of Bill Snibson to life.
For those unfamiliar with the tale, Bill inherits the riches and title of Earl of Hareford, much to the dismay of the high-minded aristos who currently occupy the ancestral home. And while attempts to gentrify Bill fail miserably, his affection for his cockney sweetheart Sally Smith also prove a major stumbling block to his new-found status. The role of Sally is fulfilled by the show's director Dawn Leigh. In my experience, directing while also playing a major part can bring a unique set of problems, and while Dawn has the experience and ability to ensure her performance doesn't suffer, it is sometimes difficult to devote sufficient attention to the rest of the cast and to other details which can suffer.
One or two characters seemed a bit 'under-cooked' and the prompter was probably having a few nightmares of their own.
Robbie Pogson (Sir John Tremayne) had no such worries, and showed his wealth of experience in commanding the stage, while Daren Wild (Gerald Bolingbroke) gave a passable impression of 'Mr Bean meets the Musicals'.
Michelle Bates vamped it up nicely as  Lady Jacqueline Carstone with Dreda Glennie as the domineering Duchess of Dene.
As mentioned earlier though, the credits really must go to Michael Mills who worked so hard to keep the production flowing. I only hope his voice lasted out the week.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.