Now That's What I Call Armageddon: The Ultimate Playlist for the End of the World

Following on from their production of ‘The Addams Family’ earlier this year, Trinity AOS made a welcome return to the Daneside stage for their concert production of ‘Now That’s What I Call Armageddon – The Ultimate Playlist for the End of the World’. The concept of the concert was innovative and exciting, dreamt up by directors Simeon Green and Simon Matthews. Presented as a compilation concert (a la the famous ‘Now’ albums), it had something for everyone. There were a range of songs performed with up tempo songs performed alongside more emotional numbers. With the audience able to vote for the songs in each category, there was a sense of excitement and anticipation in the auditorium, as each number was revealed by our AI presenters, Bob and Chuck. Everyone in the cast had their opportunity in the spotlight, whether it was dancing or leading one of the numbers. They also worked well as an ensemble, especially in the numbers where they stood on stage and sang out. There were some standout moments during the concert: Megan Ashbrook’s vocals stood out, especially in ‘Dog Days Are Over’, Marcus Wesley was a charismatic performer drawing the audience’s eye, and the performance of U2’s ‘One’ was moving with BSL incorporated into the number. Costumes were very apt for a concert for the end of the world, with band t-shirts, ripped jeans and chains. This also helped with the rock-like feeling of the concert, with the audience encouraged to sing and dance along throughout the evening.

The musical director was Dave Francis. The cast performed to backing tracks and did well with this. There were some lovely arrangements of songs, where the cast could really show off their voices in unison. The arrangement of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ was very good, and performed well by the cast. Having Nathan Janes appear in the ‘Ultimate Song for Playing Air Guitar’ was inspired, and he performed well.

The choreographer of the concert was Helen Lilley. There were some strong choreographic elements throughout this production. The routine for ‘Bonkers’ at the end of the first act was highly energetic and performed well by the cast. The contemporary dance performed by Sam Hands and Beck Brady was well performed by both, full of emotion. There was some repetitiveness in other routines. A bit more variety in some of the numbers would have elevated the choreography.

The technical aspects of the production were outstanding. It was clear that a lot of time had been put into aspect of the production. The sound balance between the backing tracks and cast was very good. It was loud enough to feel like a concert, but nothing was overpowering. The lighting design was fantastic. The LED bars that framed the stage allowed bursts of colour to be injected into numbers. The video screen upstage was used well throughout and helped move the story of the concert along. The AI presenters, TV advert, and the images displayed during the musical numbers were well created by Simon Matthews.

Overall, this was an enjoyable evening. The production values were amazing, with some good vocal performances throughout. The overall concept was original and the vote idea made it relevant and exciting for the audience.

Thank you to Trinity AOS for their kind invite and hospitality. All the best for your next production, ‘Into the Woods’, next year.

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