Musicals through the Years

Opening Remarks

I was delighted to be invited to attend Rutland Musical Theatre’s (RMT) latest production, ‘Musicals through the Years’.

The show had been produced and staged to raise funds for the company’s upcoming production of ‘Kinky Boots’, which will run at the Corby Cube in April 2023.

Whilst it is rare for a NODA representative to attend fundraisers, I could not resist seeing the work of RMT, which is always of the highest standard. Also, given the financial challenges of staging a musical, especially in current times, I was glad to be able to offer my support to RMT.

Before I move on to my report, I must say how sorry I am for the delay in producing my review of RMT’s production. I send my sincerest apologies and regret deeply how long it has taken me to deliver my show report.

The Show

‘Musicals through the Years’ was a revue of musical theatre from 1926 to 2019. The collection of songs was brilliantly arranged to give us a taste of the evolution of musical theatre throughout the decades, but also to ensure an appropriate mix of scores, tempos, and styles.

The arranging of a revue like ‘Musical through the Years’, is never easy. To get the balance right, and to tie the numbers together, is hard. However, Laura Ray managed these difficult tasks to perfection. The addition of historical narrative by the host, Tom Johnson, added to the overall coherence of the production and was welcomed by a musical theatre geek, like me!

Laura, and the team that supported her off stage, backstage and front of house, were excellent. Laura produced a splendid show that presented RMT and its members at their best. Direction was brilliant, characterisations strong, choreography inspired, and vocals outstanding! A massive well done to Laura for producing an exceptionally brilliant production.

The cast, put simply, was outstanding. I am astonished by the talent that RMT has within its ranks: every single member of the 21 strong cast did a brilliant job on stage.

With a cast of 21 exceptionally talented performers, it is not possible for me to mention the work of each member, instead I note this: collectively the cast allowed me – and the audience – to experience the full range of human emotions through the professional delivery of some of musical theatre’s most beloved scores. I thank each cast member for showing us all the power of musical theatre and highlighting the very reason I hold it so close to my own heart.  

However, I will take this opportunity to note the numbers I enjoyed the most, which is actually a very hard task because I enjoyed the entire show. In order of delivery: ‘Hello’ (company); ‘A Boy like that’ (Mariana Dickson and Jenny South); ‘I know It’s Today’ (Victoria Fallow-Norton, Laura Ray, and Katie Ross); and ‘The Andrew Lloyd Webber Medley’, ‘Disney Medley’, and ‘Roar’ – all delivered by the company – were amazing.

The standout performances for me were ‘Dyin’ Ain’t So Bad’ by Ally Ambrose: breath-taking, just WOW(!); and ‘A Little Priest’ by Lizzy Young and Andy Lee: outstanding, especially given the complex score – loved it!

Finally, I must mention the outstanding rendition of ‘The History of Wrong Guys’ by Katie Ross, which is – of course – from RMT’s upcoming production of ‘Kinky Boots’. Katie’s delivery of this number was outstanding. And, if this taster was anything to go by, the production of ‘Kinky Boots’ is going to be exceptional.

Despite the small-scale venue, and the remit of a fundraiser, the production values for ‘Musicals through the Years’ were of a very high standard. The light and sound were excellent. The staging, equally, was of a good standard and effective for the purpose of the production. The venue, at large, was perfect for such an event.

Closing Remarks

My very warmest of congratulations for what was an outstanding production! The show produced was just brilliant.

As I noted at the end of the evening, to Tom: Thank you for showing me the heart of your company!

I wish RMT all the very best for the future and hope that its upcoming run of ‘Kinky Boots’ is a success – although I am in no doubt that it will be a complete hit!

Luke Campbell

NODA Representative, East Midlands District 7

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