Sweet Charity

Wow, what an evening!    Very rarely a production such as this one comes along and makes the amateur  tag a complete nonsense.   From start to finish this sparkled like a pure diamond and by the end we  were all dazzled with the effects on our senses.

The story of Charity Hope Valentine, the dance hall hostess with her indefatigable spirit and ability to rise above all her troubles was at the heart of this plot.    The production and staging were quite superb. The stage at Dorking Halls is ample sized with a deep rectangular central thrust with steps leading to the auditorium.   Back projection was extensively used for set onto two adjoining large central upstage flats which parted to let the company onstage.  Stage right and left each had a large flat, again used for projections and comments.   Actual set furniture was minimal, which gave the Pompeii club much space and, to my eyes, portrayed a great sense of the loneliness of the girl hostesses lifestyle.    Four ballet style barres were used for the girls in the club to advertise their wares to the men "buying" their time.    In Hey Big Spender one girl had her leg draped over the barre in provocative style and the believability factor of these sad, cynical girls was pitched beautifully.

The choreography under the inspirational Aimee-Marie Bow was a triumph.   It fizzed and crackled like a champagne supper on Bonfire night and would easily have graced any West End production.    Its great production numbers - Hey Big Spender, Rich Man's Frug, The Rhythm of Life, I'm a Brass Band and I Love to Cry at Weddings are a godsend for a talented company like DDOS under a brilliant choreographer, as was amply proven in this production.

Angie Shultz in the title role was simply stunning.    Her range of emotions ran the full gamut from A to Z, quite unlike the famous Dorothy Parker quip about Katherine Hepburn "she ran the gamut of emotions from A to B"!   A true comparison would be to the legendary Shirley Maclaine and, like her, Angie was a great dancer and singer too.   She was scarcely off the stage throughout, hardly surprising as it is clearly where she is destined to be.   Almost matching this paragon in acting and charisma was Justin Jeffreys as the highly strung Oscar Lindquist. He perfectly captured the character in the role, in this his debut with DDOS   Their claustrophobia scene together in the elevator was a joy to behold.

A host of highly gifted actors / actresses supported the two leads.   Steven Mann played two wildly differing characters in the Italian Vittorio Vidal and then the hippy guru Daddy Brubeck which showcased his great acting ability.    As Vittorio, his Too Many Tomorrows was sung in glorious style.   Vittorio's love hate relationship with the tempestuous and latin Ursula March was almost too real for comfort.   Kate Chapman as Ursula was another gifted actress and invested enormous"attitude" in this highly strung character so believably.

Claire Malcolmson and Tracey Brammar as Nickie and Helene respectively, fellow hostesses and good friends to Charity, perfectly captured the world weariness of that lonely lifestyle;  their scene together in their apartment was almost unbearably sad and gritty. Pompeii Club manager Herman was realistically and amusingly played by Olly Reeves, "sobbing" his way through I Love to Cry at Weddings!   Charly Ralph did well as pretty, but naive Rosie, the new hostess being "picked out" by the next gentleman paying for her "company".                              

The highly professional eleven piece band was marshalled with precision by the experienced Musical Director, Brian Steel.

Director Barrie P Ward, in his first show with DDOS, which the programme informs us will also be his swansong, has certainly gone out on a  high note. Take a bow Barrie!

Producer and Technical Director,   Stuart Yeatman, who injects his own enormous energy and creative input into all DDOS shows, both in the Dorking Halls and in the adjacent Green Room Studio theatre, just keeps churning out gems like a Hatton garden Jeweller.

Lighting by the experienced Richard Pike was, once again, exemplary as was sound under Stuart Vaughan.    Costumes were beautifully assembled and fitted by the most "attention to detail" eyes of Joy Russell and Janet Chapman.   I must also commend the make-up / hair, including some lustrous wigs for Charity and most of the show girls and other characters too.   Kate Cheetham deserves high praise for their great effect.

The glossy, detailed and interesting programme lived up to the rest of this entrancing evening.  I suppose this is what is called a rave review, but there surely must have been something not to like about the evening?   Actually, yes!    The Dorking Halls bar was not kept open after the performance.    Fortunately the Green Room Theatre bar (run by Stuart Yeatman) saved the day!   For this privileged  reviewer it was an unforgettable evening!

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