The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling bee

The Pantheon Club certainly keep Glasgow audiences entertained with their ongoing active pursuits in the theatres in Glasgow, and this show was no exception.  Following a group of teenagers, each with their own back story and  played by adults, brought this Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book to the amateur stage.   As they work through the challenges of the annual spelling bee the cast  bring their abilities to the stage not only in spelling, but also in portraying their own personal stories.  The way in which each of the cast had developed and maintained their role should be commended.   There were even a few additional spellers brought into the competition from the audience, and they went along with the flow and joined in the fun of the whole experience.  While all performances were excellent, one that particularly stood out for me, was Gordon Downie’s performance as  Vice Principal Panch for his strong acting and excellent timing throughout. 

Webster’s Theatre was an ideal venue for this production, and the set was simple and effective with the right balance of technical input from lighting and sound to enhance the overall performance. Musical direction was tight and the vocals were strong from all involved.  It was a pleasure to speak to the artistic director on my way into the theatre, and would like to congratulate the entire company for tackling this show, which was new to me, but one I look forward to seeing in the future.  Well done to all involved!

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