Me and My Girl

Looking through the programme before the show, I read the Chairmans Message in which she commented: - ‘This is a happy, colourful and light hearted show that has stayed faithful to the music-hall tradition from which it emerged’. The show that followed was exactly that, it did what it ‘said on the tin’. The overture led us into us into a nice clean set reminiscent of a grand country house with the many and varied characters awaiting the arrival of the new Viscount Hareford. The music seemed as old as time and the story was a simple rags to riches (with a touch of Pygmalion thrown in). But it all seemed familiar, like comfy old slippers and the audience wallowed in nostalgia for a long gone and very innocent period.

The scenery was fresh and clean just sumptuous enough to represent a stately home but simple enough to be made and painted, to fit your stage, by your excellent construction team. The use of cloths in this show (the only way to provide such big scene changes simply) was in this case masterly. I have rarely seen cloths… kitchen, public house and street, which had such good perspective that they took the eye around corners, into the distance and they looked so realistic. Well done to the artist who achieved these minor miracles. The staging of the show enabled the continuity of the show to be well paced; large pieces of scenery would have meant lengthy scene changes. The lighting was very well executed. The effect of the blue lighting creating a ‘black and white picture for ‘Lambeth Walk’ was excellent. The costumes were very good and worn well by the cast. The MD is to be congratulated for keeping a tight reign on the very good combination of instruments in the ‘orchestra’. The singing throughout was of high quality with most principals showing talent and flair for the music. The company singing was of a very high standard, beginnings and endings crisp and sharp. Good diction during the singing, (not always commented upon) was to be commended. The company was very obviously well rehearsed musically.

I particularly enjoyed the choreography in this production. It appeared fresh and new and was very well executed. Not particularly difficult dance routines here but they were performed extremely well. This shows excellent judgment by the choreographer.… When you need to move ‘the company’ who will have differing levels of dance expertise, keep it simple… do it confidently and well and it will look excellent. All the routines were very good so, very well done. The director had obviously done his homework. This show is so well known to audiences that they have an expectation of what they will see.  The temptation for a director to stamp his own interpretation onto an old favorite is high, but Jeff Prescott avoided the trap and presented a rock solid perfect adaptation of this evergreen show.
Performances overall were very high quality, the production was well cast and the company worked as a team. Principals were very well rehearsed and all showed understanding of their roles and played with talent and flair. This show is a classic. Perhaps it does not have the excitement and challenge of a more modern show but your society did the production justice in every way. You gave the audience a most entertaining evening, you sent them home happy, you had good box office and presented an old favorite in a charming and stylish manner. The cast looked as though they were enjoying themselves with plenty of work for everyone. A winner in so many ways I think!

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