Suessical the Musical

This was my first invitation as a new Regional Representative and I was slightly nervous for two reasons; to write my first NODA report and the fact that although I had seen the musical some years ago, I had very little memory of it and I had not read any of the Dr. Suess books! I had no need to be anxious - as soon as 'The Cat in the Hat' leapt onto the stage (played superbly by James Sidgwick), the colourful characters from the Doctor's books came to life in this first-class interpretation by LIDOS.

There are two elements I love to see in theatre - energy and enthusiasm - this company have both in abundance. Each actor performed with gusto under the brilliant directorship of Rachel Tustain, who also had to step into the role of 'Birdgirl' at very short notice. The Musical Director, Lucy Eyre, firmly held the band at a cracking pace - the whole cast tackled the score with relish. Choreographers Donna Wells and Emma Tempest created some clever routines which fitted in well with the overall feel of the show. The younger members of the cast performed positively, lead by a talented Archie Bradley as 'Jojo'.

I must make special mention of the excellent costumes (with impressive matching footwear, so important) and the innovative and striking make-up, credited to 'Leeds City College Students'. Both these departments worked very hard to create a 'total look'. An unseen but professional backstage crew, led by Tina Nutt, completed the line-up.

LIDOS should be proud to present a first class evening's entertainment, theatre at it's very best - my sincere congratulations to you all.

After the performance, the Chairman of LIDOS, Adrian Marshall, invited us to meet the comany on stage, where one of their Life Menbers, Bryan Craven, was presented with a Long Service Award by our NE Area Regional Councillor, David Streeter.

I am looking forward to seeing LIDOS's next production, 'Supertown', a brand new musical, written and scored by two LIDOS members.

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