Miscast Again

The first show of Portsmouth Players’ Centenary year, Miscast Again, takes as its premise that “Perfect casting is overrated,” a concept championed on Broadway since 2001 with its annual Miscast concerts. Why do we try to get the perfect cast when theatre is all about pretence? Casting against type, gender and age can reveal new meanings in well-known songs and give actors a chance to perform numbers that would not normally be available to them.

Settling into our seats in the comfortable Barn Studio Theatre, after a very warm welcome front of house, we were presented with a black set with just a few show posters to hint at what was to come. Minimalist furniture and props (Caroline Moloney) were speedily moved on and off stage by the cast. Effective lighting (Scott Dowell) created the moods nicely (though one or two cues were a little wayward on the first night) and sound (also Scott) was spot on – the recorded tracks never overwhelming the singers who all managed without head mics, just a few field mics. It shows how good projection and diction is all that’s needed in this studio theatre. A lot of thought had obviously gone into choosing the costumes (Andrew Davies and Caroline Moloney), which were black and sombre or a riot of colour and sparkle - always well suited to the numbers being presented. There must have been some really fast changes going on back stage too!

Directors Georgina Rose Rust and Dario Davies-Recchia have assembled an accomplished and engaging line-up of performers, who all threw themselves into the numbers with great enthusiasm. The standard of singing throughout was excellent, for both solo and chorus songs and the interpretation of Ellie Scott’s choreography was spot-on, using every inch of the limited stage area with precision. It is such an ensemble piece that it would be iniquitous to single out individuals, so I started writing a list of my favourite items instead and found I’d listed almost the entire show. Suffice to say that each number was interesting and inspiring in its own way and, by turn, they could be hilarious or moving. Everyone got their chance to be in the spotlight and show us what they could do and, wow, what a talented group you are! The way you were able to cast new light on familiar numbers, make us think about them differently and increase our appreciation for the clever lyrics or laugh out loud at your imaginative interpretations.

The professional standard full-colour programme gave us lots of information about the show and the cast and creatives, along with some great rehearsal photos.

The concept of Miscast does to some extent depend on the audience knowing the shows to fully appreciate the irony of the ‘miscasting.’ I hadn’t even heard of some of the shows, let alone seen them, but each number could be appreciated in its own right for the quality way in which it was presented, making this a very enjoyable evening. I would say that each item was perfectly cast. I hope you do more of these in the future.

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