Merrily We Roll Along

A new venue for Eastleigh Operatic and Musical Society having to find a more affordable stage due to the disgraceful increase in fees by Eastleigh Borough Council for the usual venue, The Point. The rise means that they have priced out this extremely well respected and established local theatre group. A sad indictment of the lack of funding and consideration that is given to the Arts. I dare say that this is not just isolated to Eastleigh, but a resonance will be struck here across the UK. Hanger Farm is, as the title suggests, a converted barn, but one that is extremely well equipped and established.

Merrily We Roll Along is a very rarely performed piece, and it's great to see that local societies are prepared to produce these shows against the more popular (and over done) productions that seem to be repeated across the UK. From a reviewer's perspective, I find this very refreshing.

Merrily We Roll Along is set in the seventies and the sixties but takes the story backwards (from the end to the beginning), and the music and lyrics tell the story of two composers and their efforts to become established. As this is in reverse chronological order, we already know they have succeeded, it's how they get there and it takes in friendship, ambition, the cost of chasing these dreams and associated dramas. A true Sondheim experience.

This was played on a bare stage, all the set changes were purely props. It worked well and with the minimum of fuss. Add to this well programmed lighting (Livewire Theatrical Consultant) to enhance the atmosphere and it supplemented well the overall production. Sound, well delivered by Pob Wyeth, allowed us to pick up on all the words, spoken and sung and we were able to follow the story easily. Superb costumes, and many of them, depicted the change in years and fashions very well and again enhanced the production in the same way as the lighting.

The small band of five was well led by Rachel Thorpe and her colleagues, and the sound level was just right, given the small size of Hanger Farm. Just loud enough, but not overpowering. 

The main characters of Franklin Shepperd, Charley Kringas and Mary Flynn, played by Domonic Sly, Josh Miller and Susie Maycock, worked well together, with great stage presence between Franklyn and Mary, whose strong vocals were clear and delivered with passion. They were very well backed up by the supporting cast. Gussie Carnegie played by Morgan Dunn with great attitude and vocals, Alan Finden as Joe Johnson the (much older) producer married to Gussie, never without his cigar, and Beth Spencer as Rachel Spencer who started in divorce but ended when they all first met: see, backwards. All the cast looked as if they knew where to be and when, a testament to the work done in rehearsals by Louise Hodson and her crew. They looked confident with good diction and were here to enjoy themselves, which came over well into the auditorium.

I found this to be a very enjoyable evening, a well directed and well rehearsed production. Thank you.

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