Sweet Charity

It’s a brave and dedicated production team that takes on the challenge of directing such an iconic and challenging piece of musical theatre. Bursting with enthusiasm, the impressive orchestra was excellent from overture to finale. The evolving and revolving sets were massively successful in effect with an artistic lighting plot to compliment throughout. The use of colour in lighting, costume and set was perfectly coordinated to create every mood imaginable during the rollercoaster saga of Charity’s journey to find true love. The massive role of Charity (Carla McColgan) was superbly played. She truly inhabited every ounce of this quirky, upbeat, hopeful character and danced with conviction and sang each challenging note to perfection.It has to be said that she stole the show. The seductive red glow of the Fandango Ballroom introduced the hostess girls Nickie (Ruth Davidson) and Helene (Jan Baird) in a sexy ‘Big Spender’. Both girls played the stunning  and sassy friends of Charity, who wowed the audience with their ‘Baby Dream your Dream’, a comical and harmonic number, and likewise joined forces with Charity for the rooftop showstopper ‘There’s Gotta be Something Better Than This’. Excellent! The outstanding choreography shone throughout the whole show, honouring the Bob Fosse style of movement and rhythm, but individualised to suit the company. Examples of this, featuring the boys, were ‘Rich Man’s Frug’, in a fabulous gold and turquoise theme, and ‘I’m a Brass Band’, with the company in red and white and showing extra flare in tap shoes. There is no doubt that one of the best known and most popular numbers in the show is the ever popular ’Rhythm of Life’, which was psychedelically colourful and spiritually uplifting, giving hip leader Daddy Brubeck (William Pearson) and the whole company a wonderful opportunity to shine. On the subject of shining, the sweet natured, claustrophobic accountant Oscar (Clark Eaton Turner) was superbly captured and he  characterised his role to perfection. His terrifying  elevator experience was interpreted with manic expertise and his fabulous melodic duet with Charity, ‘Bravest Individual’ was an harmonic delight. Even from the broken down fairground chair he managed to charm and calm us all, including Charity with his amorous, ‘Sweet Charity’. The partnership with Charity was excellent throughout.  Another inspired coupling was the arrogant Vittorio (Jack McAuley) and his diva girlfriend Ursula (Lynsay Cullen). Their passionate and heated relationship worked very well. The bedroom scene was spectacularly slick and hilarious, with the shenanigans surrounding the closet scene creating side-splitting audience laughter. Top marks for a fabulous rendition of ‘If My Friends Could See Me Now’ by Charity and ‘Too Many tomorrows’ by Vittorio. Having full control of the sleazy character Herman (Daniel Wilson), the owner of the Fandango ballroom, finally reveals his softer side to star in the popular choral number, ‘I Love to Cry at Weddings’. The show was excellently supported by chorus , superb dancers, strong minor roles and even a live dog to provide crowds, congregation and customers who all added to the colourful drama surrounding the life of Charity Hope Valentine. Many Congratulations on an outstanding achievement.   

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