Our Show Must Go On

This cabaret style evening was conceived as a gentle welcome back after the long silence due to the Covid Pandemic. It developed into a full-blown spectacular of 24 musical numbers. Well, what a welcome back it turned out to be! The cast and crew, eager to rediscover the joys of musical theatre, worked extremely hard to deliver something that the audience, equally eager, could enjoy, and the result was an evening of mixed emotions - from great joy, to deep poignancy.

A cosy atmosphere was created by the way the tables were set and the simple but very effective backdrop of projected titles, with the subtle lighting adding just the right level of colour to offset the fittingly uniform costumes, which had enough variation to be interesting but not distracting.

This was a truly inclusive evening, giving everyone an equal chance to shine on the stage. The performers varied in ability, which is to be expected with such a large number of cast, and this was a perfect way for each individual to gain in confidence if it had been lost a little during the recent empty months. Although a few voices were difficult to hear, sometimes it was volume, sometimes diction, this did not stop each performer from giving so much to the audience. An audience whose members had tears in their eyes on several occasions from the sheer beauty of the voices that they heard.

The stage did feel a little cluttered when the full cast were standing in several rows at the front, obscuring the members in the back rows. But when the staging had them standing in diagonal lines, using the depth of the stage, or gathering in smaller groupings, it worked fantastically.

The narration between numbers allowed time for the necessary changeovers between numbers, but did bring the energy down considerably, as it felt a little too serious and dry. What worked well by contrast, was when it became more anecdotal and natural, introducing some much needed humour in the intro to Guys and Dolls.

There are two numbers that really stood out. The first was at the end of act one. The way the Les Miserables scene had been put together was excellent. It was sung exquisitely, had the right mixture of humour and poignancy, and was staged so well, using the space on the stage to really draw the audience in.

The other number that can only be described as perfect was the final one: Kipps. By now, the cast had relaxed, and were really enjoying themselves, which meant that the audience did too. The number was performed with such energy, with everyone involved getting the complex timings so spot on, that it left the audience wanting more, and even more.

The surprise encore was such a contrast, with such a heart-rending rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. This time, the simple staging of the horizontal lines did work, as it was a very still number, beautifully executed. A simply outstanding way to close a truly enjoyable evening.

Thank you for inviting me.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.