The Beggar's Opera

This piece, John Gay’s great comic masterpiece, was written in 1728 and is generally agreed to be the first ever musical. There have been many versions since but KAOS picked on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1990s adaptation to perform. With 50 musical numbers, encompassing lilting love songs to guitar-led rock-style numbers, there was huge scope for this vocally talented group to get their teeth into. Among the tunes still well known today are Greensleeves, Over the Hills and Far Away and Golden Slumbers. The story of Captain Macheath the highwayman, his lovers and band of brigands is colourful – full of both humour and pathos and - although it is set in the 18th century, and uses the vocabulary of the time – the issues raised are recognisable in today’s time. Scott Gilmour was excellent as the strutting, swash-buckling Captain Macheath – with confident stage presence and a good singing voice. As his two main love interests Polly Peachum and Lucy Lockitt - played by Helen Newton and Kathleen Irving-Lewis respectively - both actresses gave very strong performances. Their rendition of “No Power/I Like a Fox” at the end of Act 2 being particularly powerful. As the fathers of the two girls Peachum (the informant) and Lockitt (the jailer), Dennis Gowland and Chris Matthews respectively gave strong performances never wavering from their villainous characterisations. A strong performance was also given by Kate Howe as Mrs Peachum with lovely renditions of her solo numbers in Act 1. Paul Rendall, in the dual roles of Tom the fictional author of the play and Filch the Peachum’s servant, played the narrator of the piece well making sure we all kept up to speed with the story. The male chorus – playing thieves and members of Macheath’s gang – looked and acted their various characters as to the manner born. The ladies chorus certainly threw themselves into their roles as the Women of the Town with special mention of Cathy Lyner (Mrs Vixen), Emma Laughton (Jenny Diver), Sandra Shearer (Mrs Slammekin), Edwina Lloyd (Suky Tawdry) and Ishbel Fraser (a delightfully comic Diana Trapes the ageing Madam). The crime-ridden slum of St Giles in London was well portrayed by the multi-level scaffolding set, with changes of the settings being achieved by the introduction of a few pieces of furniture and by the hanging of tapestry-like cloths from the scaffolding poles. Costumes were simple and appropriate to each character – the Women of the Town’s daring attire even attracting wolf-whistles from the audience! The 10 piece orchestra, under the baton of Glenys Hughes, played the intricate score with consummate ease. Well done everyone at KAOS for bringing this little performed gem back to the stage

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