Shout

As this 70+ reviewer is a 1960’s expert! WSM OS‘s latest offering in the small but perfect St Judes Theatre, offered nostalgia by the bucket load. A small stage housed the musicians and there was just room for all the performers and a colourful and attractive set was ready for the action. The talented and inventive directors Laura Grace and Will Taylor were very fortunate to cast nine talented ladies as the five colour girls, 3 Mod’s and a wonderfully cynical agony aunt.

‘Shout’ is a review style musical show that follows five very different girls though the swinging 60’s into the groovy 70’s, with the link being a teenage magazine called ‘Shout’. It is packed full of hit songs from the likes of Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black and Lulu and many more, interspersed with very funny dialogue from each of the colour girls, giving us a inkling of their lives and personalities.

Laura Grace and Will directed it with skill, but the talents of the girls gave it life. All very different from each other, they acted and sang their hearts out with energy and oomph… it just ‘fizzed before your eyes’. The two acts just passed in a haze of comedy, colour and great singing. The music was provided by a ‘top notch combo of piano, bass and drums… sounds mediocre when you just call it that, but the three musicians brought the songs to life with their talented playing and performances, often doubling up on other instruments they were a class act of their own. Very well done MD Richard Lennox …Keyboards, Director Will Taylor… Bass Guitar and Double Bass and Andy Davis on drums, percussion and what looked like a slide whistle… used to great effect… truly fantastic accompaniment.

The three girls (The Mod’s) were complimentary to the colour girls and brought an extra dimension to the company numbers and acquitted themselves excellently with their dialogue. As already mentioned a very good agony aunt played by droll, cynical and funny, Alison Borcham. When she replied to the ‘colour girl’s’ letters to the magazine ‘Shout’, the humour was faultless! Well done.

And now the ‘main event’…. A quintet of some of the best amateur voices around…

Orange girl – Georgina Barry, a lovely warm and at times very poignant performance here, domestic and maternal, completely contented and in denial! Excellent voice showed to perfection in her songs.

Red girl – Clare Hunter… born to play comedy… a brilliantly funny performance from Clare, naïve, awkward but lovable… such warmth in her performance and her songs were beautifully sung, occasionally with a knowing pathos.

Blue girl – Stephanie Reeves… beautiful, svelte, a stylish ‘Biba girl’ personified’  and she knows it, that’s why she has no friends, This was a very controlled performance as she worked out why she didn’t like her boyfriends… very emotional, songs sung beautifully.

Green girl - Leah Farmer… a zany good times girl, says it ‘like it is’, rude, audacious and a bit of a slut. This was a wonderful performance by Leah with real chutzpa (dictionary def,) extreme self confidence and audacity! Leah brought comedy and humour to a new level and sang so well.

Yellow girl – Paige Brunton… she was loud, brash and uninhibited and American, with a touch of vulnerability…. But not when she sang….loud but  totally in control, she presented an amazing musical sound, ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ and ‘Shout’ were quite outstanding, as were all her other solos.

This was entertainment of the highest quality. The show might not have sold in the professional world (closed after 2 performances in the UK), but WOS OS brought pure nostalgia to St Judes and the whole cast and production team are to be congratulated. As the final song came to a close, the rafters rang with applause and we all joined the cast singing ‘Those Were the Days My Friend’….and they certainly were! Weston has proved once again … it doesn’t have to be big, lavish and expensive to be wonderful!

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