Oklahoma

‘Oklahoma’, first staged in 1943 is an important landmark show in the history of the development of the modern musical: the coming together of an integrated book, lib and score; the fusion of plot, dance, drama and music into a coherent, flowing piece of theatrical entertainment. In many ways, ‘Oklahoma’ provided the template for the future direction of modern musical - as well as picking up the baton from the through-written brilliance of Gilbert and Sullivan some 50 years earlier, where plot, music and movement were always similarly part of a coherent theatrical whole, something that is often forgotten in these days of big budget spectacle and charmless ‘jukebox musicals’! It was therefore something of a pleasure to be asked to come and report on St Ambrose’s homely, traditional production as ‘Oklahoma’ is a show I know well and have been involved with many times: it is always instructive to see someone else’s take on a show that one thinks of as familiar and reassuring, if only to have one’s preconceptions challenged and to enjoy a different interpretation.

The curtain opened on a simple but effective set, clearly lovingly crafted by the society and which suited the church hall stage admirably. Leading the ensemble as Curly, John Sangster gave an endearingly louche and carefree performance and was in fine voice as always, the odd stumble with lines here and there covered up admirably as being part of Curly’s easy-going character! Pauline Todd as Aunt Eller gave solid support as the wise old matriarch and Kirsty Chapman as Laurie played her role as a spoilt and unduly cosseted farm girl with her head in the clouds which worked well. Feckless roustabout Ado Annie was brought to life superbly by Alison Griffiths-Barnes who brought a dangerously ‘knowing’ edge to the role, very much in control of her own destiny and taking no nonsense. Will Parker, the amiable buffoon of the show, was brought to life with charm and grace by Jason Nizinkievic whose good looks had the audience – as well as the ladies of the ensemble – won over instantly: I felt his performance gathered momentum throughout the show and by the end of Act Two, Will Parker was very obviously an audience favourite! Matt Clark as Jud Fry gave a very interesting reading of the character - perhaps veering a little too much between ‘out and out villain’ and ‘sympathetic outsider’ for my taste, so that it was difficult to know where his character’s real centre was to be found – but which showed flashes of brilliance. Andy Sugden’s performance as Ali Hakim was a very interesting thing to behold: defiantly old-school in approach – and with a superbly well-maintained accent – Andy’s take on the role brought both the easy crowd-pleasing laughs the character delivers and yet for me, there was a delicately sinister edge to his performance too, which was intriguing. Steven Barnes brought a fresh approach to the role of Andrew Carnes, making him a more gregarious and lively character than is usual and Nicola Hayes delivered a winsomely sympathetic turn as Gertie Cummings – again a different interpretation than is usual with this character. It was interesting to see so many familiar characters being played in ways I hadn’t expected. All the leading performers sang well and were in fine voice, receiving strong support from the small but perfectly formed chorus who were ably assisted by the inclusion of a group of pit singers.  

An excellent and colourful array of costumes complimented the set in really bringing the stage to life and adding zest to the production. Excellent and sympathetic choreography brought vim and vigour to the musical numbers and the orchestra although small was mainly adequate to the task in hand – the overture did unfortunately sound a little thin (with some rather unintentional avant garde touches creeping in on occasion) and there were times when the musical choices made in the production were a little perplexing: ‘Pore Jud is Dead’ being turned from a duet into a solo did rather alter the complexion of the song - and not for the better - and Ali Hakim’s song was cut altogether, somewhat disappointingly. The Dream Ballet was handled with imagination and careful thought but the lighting didn’t help in showcasing the narrative thrust of the piece: it was rather difficult to pick out what was happening on stage with the dim lighting employed for much of the ballet scene. Other set pieces and ensemble numbers were handled with care and used the cast well, distributing forces carefully to make the most of the stage space. All in all, this was a good, solid production which made the most of the forces available: here was a warm, sympathetic reading of the piece which gave a large audience a thoroughly entertaining evening and my thanks go to all at St Ambrose for a warm welcome and a thoroughly enjoyable visit.

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