Roles We'll Never Play

Newly formed Together For Theatre Productions (based in Knutsford), produced their first ever fundraising concert this week at Knutsford Little Theatre. This concert, with a small cast of just fourteen, was a brilliant showcase of the obvious talent from this new NODA society. Knutsford Little Theatre was a great venue for this concert which gave it a warm and intimate feel.

Directed by Lewis Baron, this concert was a treat for the ears! Whilst some of the staging could’ve been a little more polished, with added choreography in places to aid the presentation of songs, for the most part, this production was a resounding success. For those that know me, I’m not a fan of concerts/revue shows that resemble glorified Karaoke sessions, but for me, this concert felt different. Whilst I would’ve preferred a theme, a through story or a compere, I liked the way in which it was presented. Each song flowed nicely into the other and there was a lovely balance between solos, duets and company numbers. The tracks used were excellent and gave a brilliant support to each number.

Actors wore their own clothes and used clothing and props to highlight their numbers, which was appreciated. I really loved the festoon lighting which was hung from the proscenium arch to add to the intimate setting. The overall lighting was basic with general-coloured gels used. It was clear that the lighting wasn’t programmed in as the lights were altered midway through songs, which was a little distracting. Overall though, there didn’t need to be any special lighting effects and all singers were well lit throughout. I would’ve loved to have seen more use of haze and smoke to add dimensions but I’m being very picky here. The quality of the sound was fantastic. For a small venue with two speaker stands – I have to say that the blend between mics, sound and audience was fantastic. I also loved the levels on all of the mics for each number, with added echo effect when necessary. I cannot commend Alex Williams enough for his work on sound for this concert.

The premise of the title in this concert is for actors to sing roles that they’re either too young/old for or the ‘wrong’ gender for. This is a great concept, and it was brilliant to hear new voices to songs that aren’t normally covered in concert/revue shows. In every concert there are stronger and weaker singers and the same is true within this revue. Without singling anyone out however, I really enjoyed the songs that were more intimate and drew the audience in. I also loved the songs that were acted through song, rather than ‘performed’ to the audience. This is just a personal preference. In act one there was some lovely highlights. The opening of both acts was brilliantly performed, and I liked the way in which they were presented with added movement etc.  I loved the tones of voices which blended beautifully in the Alice By Heart number (Dawn Lloyd/Stuart Dutton) as well as the delivery of both the Dead Mom song from Beetlejuice (Chloe Thomas) and Somewhere Over The Rainbow/Home song (Matt McGoldrick) but it was the company numbers that really stood out. At the end of Act one, the company staged Wait For it from Hamilton, and it was a brilliant version which was well-performed and well-staged.

Act two was a little more intimate in places, which I personally preferred. Practically every number in act two was delightful and well sang. Myles Ryan’s version of Quiet (Matilda) was stunning. A brilliant example of acting through song. I also adored Connor Ryan & Myles Ryan’s version of For Good (Wicked) which is up there with the best versions that I’ve seen of this song, both amateur and professionally! I also loved the song from Everybody’s Talking About Jaime (which wasn’t in the programme). There were many other highlights throughout this concert but again, the company vocals during Bui Doi (Miss Saigon) and From Now On (The Greatest Showman) were outstanding! I particularly loved the soprano section. Well done to Musical Director Ben Evans-Clarke for your obvious hard work.

It's clear that there is an abundance of talent in this society, and they have certainly made their mark on what they can do and achieve with only 14 cast members. If this is the level of talent that they have within their ranks, then I simply cannot wait for their upcoming production of RENT in August 2023! Together For Theatre Productions were very well supported by their audience. It’s clear that there is a lot of love for this society and its members. This should bode well for the future, and I wish them every success!

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.