Popstars

Pendle Hippodrome Youth Theatre invited us to step back in time in their 90s themed musical  “Popstars.” Right from the stat hit after classic hit took you back to the days of The Spice Girls, Cher, Christina Aguilera and many more stars of the 90s.

I liked the antics of the warm-up man before the show began. Well done, sir and thank you for showing me how my complimentary light sabre thingy worked.

The plot, in a nutshell, is centred around the rivalry between a boy band set of wannabes and a girl band set of wannabes and how with the added attraction of romance this competition is resolved. At times I felt the use of the radio mikes hampered clarity. It is something of a skill to be learned over time. That small comment aside I now come to the many outstanding features of this energetic production. Verve, dash and attack are words to be used sparingly in reviews but they can be correctly applied in this context for “Popstars” possessed all of these attributes in abundance. The clever set with flashing lights and back and side projection helped and was used to underline the changing scenes. The band situated on stage were never tempted to be intrusive and played with calm precision throughout.

Riccardo Atherton played Mark with confidence. He clearly understood his character. Caeragh McCloy, Grace Mumby, Maddie Redman, Bella Withnell and Katie McMillan, the female leads all impressed by their energy and sheer exuberance. They knew where to be on stage at any given moment moving into their positions smoothly while maintaining their characters personas. Shaun McMillan, Ashley Brennand and the young Lewis Mumby, the other members of the boy band performed with humour. They certainly had stage presence and knew how to get the audience on their side. I could say much about Lewis's performance in particular. That it was outstanding was obvious. I will watch this talented young man's progress on the stage with interest. A word of advice to you Lewis. “You’ve got the music in you, don’t let go,  We only get what we give, don’t give up” This New Radicals quote could, of course, be applied to the whole cast who lit up the stage with their energy. There are many changes of scene and costume in this musical. There were no gaps, everything went according to plan, which must have been a complicated one to accomplish all that was required. Congratulations to Dave Smith and his backstage team. The costume department under Fiona Thompson and her crew worked hard to reflect the diverse requirements of each song with such effect. The black sparkly outfits worn by the Candy Girls for “Genie In A Bottle” was worthy of Little MIx. Knowing they looked so good gave the girls added assurance and the rendition of this song was for me the outstanding moment of the entire show.

And what an ensemble! I won’t mention all of you, you know who you are all are. The programme reminded us that “ a show would be nothing without its ensemble” True. Everyone performed with a big smile. The skill of your dancing was infectious. To stage such a complex show as this must have taken long weeks of rehearsal over several months. This can take its toll.  For every player produce to such a fresh alive show, so bursting with life is amazing and a tribute to the dedication of the team as a whole.

Yet, of course, you did not or could not do this without direction. Putting it together, bit by bit was the highly talented trio of Josh Hindle, Tim Mason and Daniel Mason. Josh’s direction was precise. It takes a lot of effort to direct a musical,

any musical but this one, not seen by too many audiences as yet presents a challenge.  Josh brought many years of experience to the stage. It showed. Choreography by Daniel was bob on. Again the show presents many demands as each song requires a different emphasis on its interpretation. Crisp and clean are the two words that come to mind in this respect. I liked the decision not to parody the performances of well-known acts such as the Spice Girls. Yes, we all know how they performed and there were subtle complements to their style.  I must say to get “Victoria Adams” to smile during “Wannabe” and “Stop” was a masterstroke!

I enjoyed “Popstars” very much. Thank you for entertaining me so well. Ten years ago I directed “Don’t Dress For Dinner” at this theatre. Since which time I confess I have not seen another show here. “Outrageous” I hear you all cry. Rest assured I intend to remedy this. Thank you for your welcome. It was also good to see some old friends, Paul, Marina, Gillian and Richard to name but four. No doubt the cast will feel a terrible sense of loss after a show that has been so much a part of their lives for such a long time. Well, that is show biz, folks. Move on to your next production taking what you have learned from this one and store away your memories and you will remember them forever. Keep on dancing.

 

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