Sweet Charity

Charity Hope Valentine is someone who wears her heart on her sleeve. An optitimistic and a romantic, who always seems to end up with the wrong man. Her co-workers and manager recognise this, but Charity's positivity pushes all the nagging doubts to the back of her mind in her pursuit of love.... until Charity finds herself stuck in an elevator with the rather reserved, apologist Oscar Lindquist - has she finally met her match? Has she finally found true love? Let's find out shall we...

From the opening moments, it was clear that a great deal of thought had gone into the staging. The set design was simple - possibly even basic, but cleverly put together, allowing for smooth transitions between the various locations. Smart use of trucks, furniture and lighting helped bring the world of Charity Hope Valentine to life, keeping the stage dynamic and visually engaging.

My only other recollection of Sweet Charity was seeing the 1969 Shirley MacLaine movie of the same name, and reading the lib on the couple of occasions I've read it with a view to our company performing it.

Shannon Whittle had a hard act to follow after Shirley MacLaine, Charity’s character requires a performer who can juggle comedy, vulnerability, and charm, and in this production Shannon's performance of Charity was a tour de force. Hardly offstage throughout the piece, Shannon commanded the stage, bringing every facial expression and emotion to the role, wringing every ounce of humour from the script- a particularly favourite scene of mine was the 'wardrobe' scene. Well done.

Whilst this is very much a 'one woman show' as such, all efforts amount to nothing if the other roles aren't played well - no fear of that with this production.

Mark Elliot as Vittorio and Charlotte McCaffrey as his jealous, fiery wife played their parts well, as did Daddy (Matt Hodkin)

Charity's (final) love interest Oscar Lindquist, the neurotic, claustrophobic, rather repressed sweet accountant was more than capably played by Andrew Thompson.

Every person in the Fandango Ballroom had their own character and everybody playing those parts was en pointe with their portrayal of their roles. Helene (Georgina Jackson), Nickie (Victoria Muir), Carmen (Ruth Gardner) and fresh faced Lily Sark (Rosie), take a bow.... in fact, everyone employed at the Fandango take one, even Herman the constantly annoyed owner, (Steve Johnson).

The whole cast worked well together, bringing both humour and heart to the story.

Musically, the production was in the safe hands of Chris Starr. The orchestra delivered a confident and polished performance, keeping the energy high and capturing the jazzy, vibrant feel of Cy Coleman’s iconic score. Vocally, the cast was well-rehearsed, with strong ensemble work and standout solo moments. Numbers like Big Spender and If My Friends Could See Me Now were particularly well executed, balancing powerful vocals with sharp choreography.

Not only did Shannon play the leading role, she also choreographed this show- the dance sequences were well drilled and as Fosseesque as was possible. She should be really pleased with what her and the cast delivered.

Sweet Charity is a show bursting with energy, humour, and the odd classic musical number, and this production at Lancaster Grand Theatre delivered a lively and engaging performance that was both stylish and well-executed. With a strong cast, thoughtful staging, and great attention to detail, the audience was treated to a thoroughly enjoyable evening of theatre, of which the Director, Vanessa Whittle should surely be proud.

Thank you, Lancaster Red Rose, for your invite and hospitality.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.