Summer Holiday

If you’re a fan of musicals and red London buses, then this is the show for you. Based on the well -known film from 1963 with Cliff Richard (a staple of the Bank Holiday repeat slot on TV over the years: according to my mother, I was supposed to have loved it when I was a nipper but, between you and I dear reader, I think she’s confusing ‘Summer Holiday’ with ‘On the Buses’) it’s a bright and breezy bit of nonsense with a handful of memorable tunes sprinkled liberally throughout. As such, it was an excellent vehicle for the talented young folk at the Hippodrome Youth Theatre to show off their considerable talents and this was a production which scored highly in a number of areas.  

Firstly, a word on the sets and staging: superb. For a show where the true star is the bus, the excellent Hippodrome stage crew gave us a great four-wheeled display, moving from one scene to another with aplomb. Scene changes were tremendously effective and seamless and the use of minimalistic sets to give a flavour of each location was effectively achieved. Naturally, the pedant in me bristled at having to stare at the lack of an apostrophe on the advert on the side of the bus all night (‘BEA - Europes foremost airline’... shudder) but there wasn’t much that the crew could do about that. Something worth mentioning to the set hire people perhaps...? Despite my unnatural phobia about dodgy apostrophising, the staging was impeccable. The lighting plot was also very strong; well designed and thoughtful, adding an extra dimension to the overall stage picture throughout. 

Our merry band of bus boys were charmingly brought to life by a most energetic and enthusiastic trio. Karl Pilkingon was particularly impressive as Don in what is a very demanding role: the character hardly ever leaves the stage and is at the forefront of the action for most of the show. Karl made a potentially punishing role look easy and was great company all evening, singing, dancing and acting away as if born to play the part. Karl’s energy and enthusiasm were infectious and brought out the best from the rest of the cast. James Crickmore as Steve showed himself to be no slacker in the energy department either, being a snake-hipped little mover in the dance routines and bouncing through the show like a human dynamo. Levi Martin and Lewis Mumby as Edwin and Cyril added heart and humour to the show, both giving consistently solid performances throughout the evening, Lewis in particular providing some lovely comic touches: someone to keep an eye on in future productions.  

Wouldn’t you know it: by the sort of lucky happenstance that only happens in fluffy musicals, our four boys happen to bump into a quartet of girls with similar musical gifts and the need for a lift on a bus! Katherine Mann as Barbara gave a strong and solid performance and her romance with Don was achieved with a naturalistic charm which was a pleasant surprise. Grace Mumby, Bella Withnell and Katie McMillan – ‘The Do-Re-Mi Girls’ no less – managed the twin delights of working brilliantly together as a ‘60s pop act and also, successfully made each of their characterisations subtly different so that they were clearly individuals in their own right. All the girls successfully brought their characters to life with a convincingly 1960s period charm and the wholesome behaviour of both the boys and the girls was a delight. Caeragh McCloy as Wilma was a treat too, imbuing this little cameo role with a good deal of humorous sparkle which was much appreciated. 

Very much providing a running vein of comic relief through the show, bossy Barbara and beleaguered underling Jerry were expertly played by Lizzy Thomson and Kaden Doult respectively. Lizzy was every inch the domineering diva and Kaden was a strong presence on stage with his every appearance, giving a mature and intelligent comic performance which was very impressive. 

 Given that the show centres around our musical youths vying for the chance of romance in a number of glamorous European locations, the tone of the production was impeccable and never veered from providing a light-hearted and sunny take on ‘young love’ as befitted the ages of the performers: a very intelligent decision from director Dan Mason, who also must have worked hard to craft the countless number of dance routines in his dual role as director/choreographer. Given that the show is essentially a series of scenes which involve the bus stopping, everybody piling off to find a suitable excuse for a song and dance with the locals, then driving off again, this production thankfully didn’t hang about and kept to a good pace. Perhaps there were occasions where it did look a little too much like a whistle-stop tour on fast forward but I found this to be beneficial rather than a drawback. Don and Barbara’s romantic moments came across very well and the (many!) big chorus numbers were led with skill and precision by dance captain, Eden Barritt and the very large and enthusiastic chorus who all looked to be thoroughly enjoying themselves from curtain up to finale. 

All the famous tunes we expected to hear from Cliff Richard were in evidence whether we liked it or not and Lisa Manley gave an excellent reading of the score with her band, giving a 1960s period ‘sound’ which helped the show along considerably. Did I tire of the show constantly bouncing along from one bright and happy singalong with a bus in the background to another? Naturally... but it’s hardly fair to blame the hard-working Hippodrome gang for a show with a plot as wafer thin and inconsequential as a snowflake melting in the palm of your hand. Rather, they are to be complimented for keeping the show going with a tireless energy that was incredibly impressive. I’m afraid that I got rather annoyed with the fact that I couldn’t pick out a single line of dialogue from anyone for most of the evening almost immediately (was it because I was sat in the balcony, the result of dodgy microphones or speakers, poor enunciation?) Having to settle in for an evening’s entertainment where I had to rely on my youthful memories of watching the film to grasp what was going on at any given moment was less than ideal...  Nevertheless, the fact that this was Cliff Richard rather than Richard Wagner meant that our merry band’s intentions were never anything less that clearly expressed and straightforward enough to be able to work out what was going on. It was rather like watching a performance in a foreign language without the subtitles however.   

 To sum up, this was a production which was colourful, expertly staged, energetic and a wholesome tonic which won over the large audience within minutes. It looked great and had the great good fortune to have a large and talented cast who looked like they enjoyed every minute: the sign of a happy production and it was clear that this had been a great team effort. Dodgy sound aside, the cast and the audience were united with the warm glow of an enjoyable theatrical experience. My thanks go as always to the talented Hippodrome team, on stage, back stage, front of house and everywhere else. The wonderful Hippodrome welcome adds immeasurably to the experience too: long may you all continue to enliven the theatrical scene in District 3 and keep up the good work! 

 

 

        

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