My Favourite Things

My Favourite Things

Pickering Musical Society

 

Director Courtney Brown, Assistant Director Luke Arnold, Musical Director Clive Wass & Choreographer Rebecca Neacsu

Kirk Theatre

15th October 2025

What a pleasant evening out at a wonderful venue – as always, a warm welcome and a great atmosphere set the tone right from the start. My Favourite Thing celebrated the timeless music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, featuring songs from Cinderella, The King & I, The Sound of Music, Carousel, State Fair, South Pacific, Flower Drum Song and Oklahoma! The show was directed by Courtney Brown, assisted by Luke Arnold, who together put on a charming evening filled with nostalgia and some really special moments. The music was brought to life by an enthusiastically powerful 11-piece band led by Clive Wass – a real highlight throughout the night.

The shows choreographer Rebecca Neacsu created simple yet effective routines to help the dynamics on stage. The Sarah Louise Ashworth performers were added to numbers an gave the show plenty of energy, throwing themselves wholeheartedly into every dance routine. The Carousel Waltz by the senior performers was particularly memorable, and a massive round of applause must go to Isobel Davison for her solo dance performance in Some Enchanted Evening, a real standout.

Visually, the interactive blocks and video backdrops worked well to link each number to its original musical, adding a nice layer of context and variety. The ensemble numbers were full of sound and smiles, with both singers and dancers coming together beautifully. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning from Oklahoma! was one of the most memorable chorus numbers, and the big ensemble endings to both Acts 1 and 2 gave great bursts of energy to conclude each act. The group performance of Maria from The Sound of Music was a lovely, expressive touch, and the junior dancers charmed the audience with Impossible from Cinderella. From the same show, Annabelle Goode, Eden Leigh-Brown and Imogen Wood gave a sweet and touching rendition of In My Own Little Corner.

The Sound of Music section was a real highlight overall – So Long, Farewell by the junior dancers and My Favourite Things led by Emily Voicu both stood out as crowd pleasers. A special mention must go to Sue Smithson, who gave a warm and confident performance of Getting to Know You from The King and I. Even with a few mic issues, she projected wonderfully and ensured she was heard throughout. A touching rendition of How Can Love Survive by Paula Cook and Lucy Glover was beautifully delivered, as was Sixteen Going on Seventeen by Imogen Moisey-Smith and Keeley Wilson, both given a refreshing twist on the original interpretations. Dannielle Long’s solo performance of Climb Every Mountain was truly stunning, holding the audience spellbound, especially with the final notes.

The junior ensemble blended seamlessly with the adult cast, holding their own with confidence. A particularly nice moment came during Do-Re-Mi alongside Destiny Sampson, and the youngest members completely won over the audience with Dites Moi from South Pacific. A lighter moment came with Happy Talk from South Pacific, performed by Claire Carter and Sue Smithson with support from the junior ensemble, while Courtney Brown’s performance of I Enjoy Being a Girl brought some great humour and energy to the evening.

The male members of the society really shone in this production. Will Smithson and Jack Dobson’s performance of Honey Bun from South Pacific was hilarious and full of joy, showing great determination and comic timing. I really have a lot of respect for these two young performers. Another standout was Torrin Leigh-Brown, who joined the dance ensemble and gave a fantastic rendition of Kansas City from Oklahoma!,  for someone so young, he really held the stage and is definitely one to watch for the future.

Overall, My Favourite Thing was a pleasant evening full of well loved classics and some lovely performances. While not every number sang solos they all were made to stand out in their own way demonstrating the enthusiasm, heart, and strong creative direction and making an enjoyable and nostalgic experience.

 

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