Oliver

For their 70h Anniversary St Ambrose Players have reprised their 2001 production of the hit musical, “Oliver”. Beverley Yates, Director has put together an enthusiastic and talented cast who were obviously well rehearsed and gave a very polished and fresh performance. It was obvious from the overture that the five piece orchestra under the direction of Maria Green was to be an integral part of this very successful production as they captured the mood of Lionel Bart’s music. Once again, set designers and constructors have provided an excellent platform for the performers. They can and should, take pride in their obvious research into what is required. The company have been very successful in bringing together a fine mixture of youth and adults to produce another great evening’s entertainment. The orphans ensured the show got off to a rousing start and they obviously enjoyed the whole experience. There were some very good performances from those on stage notably Mikey Coleman as Artful Dodger and Rachel Cooper as Nancy. She sang beautifully but needed more projection at times. Oliver Grindrod as Oliver had great presence on stage and had a lovely, clear singing voice. John Sangster’s Fagin was an excellent characterisation!  Apart from some problems with diction and projection there were some fine performances.  One of the highlights for me were the ladies and gentlemen of the chorus who were outstanding throughout. Costumes, lighting and sound helped to make this the success it surely was. Congratulations to all concerned. Thank you, for once again making my wife and myself so welcome.

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