Me and My Girl

Me and My Girl

Book and Lyrics by L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber

Music by Noel Gay

Performed by Centre Stage

At The Pavilion, Exmouth on Tuesday 9th April 2024

Directed and choreographed by Sue Bonnett

Musical Director – Joseph Binmore

 

First performed in 1937, Me and My Girl is the magical ‘rags to riches’ story of Bill Snibson, a cockney barrel-boy who discovers he is the legitimate heir and the long-lost 14th Earl of Hareford.  

Set in the 1930’s ,the audience is greeted with an open stage, set with a cloth backdrop of painted clouds and lit gently with pinks, blues and purple. Placed centre-stage is a beautiful open-top vehicle of the era. As the overture is played, the ensemble and chorus of swells and flappers of the smart set enter and along with the well-dressed maids, men-servants and butler of the house perform a precise and clipped rendition of a ‘Weekend in Hareford’. Throughout this number the cloth is flown out to reveal the front of Hareford Hall and its gates. The car is taken to pieces by the staff and removed from the stage. The gates then fly out and the huge house revolves completely revealing the ‘indoors’ with its three balconettes, lit with yellows and orange.  Very impressive , as was the company singing, yet again, exceptional. I will speak more of the staging later.

Lady Jaqueline Carstone and The Honorable Gerald Bolingbroke are a fabulous team and a treat to watch, both of them. Jaqueline is portrayed by an actor who can sing, dance and act superbly well, a real triple threat and her rendition of ‘Thinking of No-One but Me’ was cracking and very funny as Gerald follows her around like a puppy-dog. Her tempting of Bill in “You Would if You Could” was hilariously clever and not easy cavorting around a chesterfield sofa. Gerald brought a laugh-out loud performance to the stage with his ‘awfully good’ English accent, his one-liners and his comic timing. With a great rendition of “The Sun has Got It’s Hat On” in Act 2, this actor is a joy to watch.

The actor playing Maria, Lady Hareford, gives as confident and delightful portrayal, poised, unmoving yet unexpectedly funny with well-timed lines to Sir John Tremayne such as “Oh do be quiet, you futile man”. Sir John has a strong stage presence and works well with Bill in ‘Love Makes the World Go Round’.  As was the actor playing Parchester, whom, I believe, stepped into the role to cover that evening. Well done indeed and nicely performed.

Bill Snibson is the pivotal role in this musical. An actor who can sing, tap dance, act his socks off and be a real comedian too and we saw this in George Killoran. I don’t normally mention the names of the actor performing the role but this young man is one to watch. From his first entrance and his first words, it is obvious he is going to enjoy this role. With a delightful singing voice when performing ‘The Lambeth Walk’ and ‘Leaning on a Lamp-post’, the tapping in ‘Me and My Girl’ with Sally and his fight with the Tiger rug in the library ,this was a terrific achievement by a young actor.  Sally Smith worked effortlessly alongside Bill and with a lovely singing voice gave the audience a gentle rendition of ‘Once You Lose Your Heart’. A lovely dancer too which complimented Bill in ‘Me and My Girl’.

The leads are supported well by the actors playing Lord and Lady Battersby and the deaf, old Sir Jasper and Mrs Brown in Act 2; however, I would like to make special mention of the actor portraying Charles, the butler who, throughout, played the perfect role. His diction is clear and he seemed always to be in the midst of the scene, moving props, and acting even when off script. I really enjoyed this performance.

Throughout, the Aristocrats, staff and cockneys are just fabulous to watch. Charles and the staff in ‘An English Gentleman’ move and sing effortlessly, in a delightfully choreographed scene and the harmonies are perfect at the end. The four couples who dance together as Bill sings ‘Leaning on a Lamp’ I liked. A weekend in Hareford, hair-raising as the large set is moved but the chorus, unflustered, continue and the whole company, it appeared, doing ‘The Lambeth Walk’.  I do not know how Sue Bonnett does it with such a large cast but the choreography always looks smooth, exact and professional.

The set used, as I previously mentioned, seems large on the Pavilion stage but it needs to be, after all, it is a pile in the country. The backstage crew has plenty to do and did it smoothly with no fuss, with the assistance of the cast the scene changes are quick and the stage props, such as a large round mahogany table and chairs, were moved with ease.  It looks effective, especially the Hall itself , particularly when it is moved slightly to stage left in the garden, Act 2 Scene 1.  Capstan Street staging with the lit window of Mrs Brown’s lodgings and the flickering light of the lamppost is delightful and the stage lighting with browns and oranges is perfect too.  The lighting throughout every scene has been created well and compliments the set and the tone of the scene.  The sound is a perfect mix of voice and orchestra in this show. Every word heard and the under- score levels complimented the dialogue. Very well done to Dominic Jeffrey, Robin Eagle and Owen Bretts and the follow spot operator, Rachel Worsley, who was ‘spot on’!

To costume so many actors on stage must be a minefield but obviously not for Sue Bonnett. From the ‘Wags’ in their plus fours and tank tops to the flappers in their tea-dresses and bias-cut gowns, furs, wraps and hats. Lady Jaqueline’s gorgeous green and yellow day dress and pink Cami and knickers with silk dressing gown and pom pom slippers. Bill’s checked suit and gorgeous mustard-yellow waistcoat and hat, Gerald’s white trousers, sleeveless jumper and boater, the ties and tails of the aristoctrats, the burgundy and white uniforms of the staff, the white croquet outfits, the cockney pearly Kings and Queens and all the ballgowns and gentleman’s white tie and tails. This is a well-dressed company and Sue is a magician in my humble opinion.

Without a certain team of dedicated people a youth production would not happen and they are the Chaperones who work tirelessly, back stage, getting the actors dressed, changed, running them to the stage and back and ensuring the safety of the cast at all times. Thank you so much, in this case, a team of ladies, for a great job.

From the upbeat and rousing overture from the orchestra to the Finale montage this show made you smile and tap your feet throughout. The audience leave the auditorium singing and smiling. A wonderful performance from a very talented company of young people, yet again. Every congratulation to the cast, company, stage crew and production team for a very enjoyable evening of musical theatre.

Lyn Burgoyne

Noda representative ( District 5 Mid and East Devon )

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