St Albans Gang Show 2019

What a great evening – I am pleased to say that St Albans Gang Show came back with a bang last night, and treated us to an excellent production.

The sets were very good – I particularly liked the Grand Hotel and Shoes sets, with the giant moving wellies a personal favourite!  The tribute to the moon landing with projections was also good.

Sound was mostly good – although the band was a little loud at times. Lighting was very good – I also particularly liked the dappled effect used with roof projections creating contrasts and dimensions.

Producer Hermione Drew and her team had some great ideas this year, the sketches were especially good, and the Literal Pop Video was stand out, very inventive – well done to all for pulling it all together.

Choreography throughout was of a high standard – Claire Keates and her team created moves that showed patterns and were suitable for everyone involved.

Musically I felt this year Eleanor Petch had brought the level up, there were some super harmonies, raps and excellent soloists.  The band was a little too enthusiastic at times, but overall, a great sound from cast and band.

Costumes were good, all looked fresh and well-presented, worn well throughout.

Sophie Lord performed well as soloist in All Star, she was confident and engaging.

The One Liners sketch was extremely well written, with Ollie Adkins and Jake Evans delivering it well, to amusement and groans from the audience, very well done.

The MmmmBop number had some good harmonies, featuring Seth Baskerville, Ysabelle Cooper, Eva Keane, Hannah Rees, Molly Young and Amelia Pagett.

The Hotel set was generally good, costumes were excellent, with Sam Adkins, Ollie Broxton, Connor Jackson and Jess Scorer all performing their solos well. 

Right Song, Wrong Lyrics was again cleverly written, Jevon Landridge, Gabriella Ward and Maddie Wilding were confident and made sure their words were clear throughout.

Run Boy Run was an interesting dance number, performed with charm and precision by Aya Abu Qalbain, Izzy Hayes, Lauren King, Alicia Pole, Ella Sheen and Amy Watts.  I was particularly taken with Aya, she has a very expressive face.

The Shoes set was very well-conceived, loved the giant ballet shoes, wellies and slipper, a well-set number.  Surfin’ USA with the flip flops was good, very intricate, and the soloists, Laura Keating, Bethany Moss and Tamsin Curtis all performed well.  Mason Day was very expressive and bright in his solo. 

The Baggage Handlers sketch was fun – and performed with confidence by Aiden Chester, Sam Adkins and Emily Pidcock.

Super Singing was just that, with Ysabelle Cooper, Aya Abu Qalbain, Seth Baskerville and Sophia Pole doing justice to what is an iconic song, and leaving us buzzing at the interval.

I really liked the Pond set – Jump Around was well-performed by Joshua Agblevor, Eva Maynard, Harry Clarke and Katie Camp, with Milena Zolynski singing well in Flying Without Wings, very engaging.  I thought the costumes for this were particularly imaginative.

The Dragons Den sketch was again well-written, with Ben Scarborough, Thomas Lutz, Amelia Price, Tamsin Curtis, Oliver Jex, Emma Lorman, Evie Summers and Megan Keating taking the ethos of this iconic programme and delivering it well.

The Moon Landing section brought back many memories, with projections accompanying the music - soloists Alicia Pole, Ellora Rao, Emily Reed, Miles Kenny and Gabriela Ward did a good job.

Literal Pop Video was the stand out number of the show, so clever in concept, and delivered to a very high standard by Jayden Thornton.  This young man gave us a number that will stay in the mind for a long time.

I liked the Quidditch number, with Jennah Whettan, Lottie Parker and Amelia Pagett fronting a good chorus well.

Deck of Cards was a good diverse number, Groove is in the Heart was a particularly difficult number, which Ella Sheen and Eve Keane performed with aplomb.  The Ace of Spades was a real rock number which Jevon Landridge performed with great energy and verve, he was exceedingly good.  Diamonds showed Rosie Davies and Molly Young off well, with good backing dancers, whilst Queen of Clubs was a good show piece for Maddie Wilding, Agnes Tyley, Hannah Rees and Rhi Berryman.

So What was also a good number performed well by Sophie Lord, Sophie McKinnon, Milena Zolynski and Eva Maynard, which lead into the finale with all the usual feel good numbers, commencing with Just One Person, featuring soloists Maddie Wilding, Rosie Davies and Connor Jackson, always a stunner. 

A great evening – there wasn’t any dip in standard during the whole production.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.