The Phantom of the Opera

Centenary Theatre Company were lucky enough to obtain the rights to perform ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, which was directed by Lisa Connor, which marked her directorial debut. To have a large cast is fantastic, but can create problems as well. On the whole, the cast were directed well. The pace was very good throughout, and blocking was good. Having the action spill out into the auditorium was inventive and allowed the audience to become immersed in the production. It was a shame the boat didn’t make its full journey across the stage, but it was excellently covered up by Gareth and Hannah. The only reason the audience would have picked up on this is if they had been told! There were a few moments when the whole cast were on stage and you were searching for certain characters, due to the sheer number on stage. The set was of a high quality, and was fit for purpose. The theatre boxes were positioned well. The scene changes were done quickly and efficiently, allowing the pace to be kept up throughout. Costumes were very good; especially those used for the opera productions. Well done to those involved with costuming the large cast.

The musical director was Simon Pickup. Simon was in complete control of the orchestra, which is even more impressive when you find out that some of the orchestra were performing in the studio space! There didn’t seem to be a note out of place. The vocals from the whole company were outstanding. Congratulations!

As well as directing, Lisa also choreographed. There were some lovely choreographed moments throughout. The ballet sequences were performed well. The choreography for ‘Masquerade’ was well performed by the company. Everyone was in-sync with one another, creating a satisfying moment.

Technical elements were good throughout the production. The sound was good throughout, especially when you take into consideration that some of the orchestra were getting piped into theatre. The sound balance between the cast and orchestra was generally good. There were moments where the orchestra overpowered the cast. The general lighting was good throughout. Some of the follow spots were a bit shaky and were chasing the actors around the stage. The special effects were good, especially the chandelier crashing to the stage at the end of the first act.

Taking on the title role was Gareth Smith. This was an impressive performance from Gareth. He had a great stage presence and was captivating to watch. The emotion that Gareth conveyed in his numbers was very good, drawing the audience in. The vocals from Gareth were amazing, showing a great control. This was a strong, leading performance.

Hannah Phillips played Christine. This was a highly accomplished performance from Hannah. The vocals from Hannah were wonderful, and she was in complete control during them. There was a sense of innocence to Hannah’s performance, which suited the character well. The relationships she created with Gareth and Matthew were wholly believable. A fantastic performance!

Taking on the part of Raoul was Matthew Corrigan. Matthew had a pleasing vocal, and formed a good relationship with Hannah. There could have been more light and shade to his performance, but on the whole this was a good performance from Matthew.

Louise Colohan was in fine voice as Carlotta. This part was made for Louise. She embodied the Prima Donna, and played the diva very well. It was great to see Louise deliver a vocal that was different to other performances she has done previously, and to do it so effortlessly. An excellent supporting performance.

Working well with Louise was Dan Grimes as Piangi. Dan brought out the humour of the role very well, in addition to having a very good vocal. Dan was excellently cast in this role. Another fine comic performance from Dan.

Peter Brennan and Nick Beckwith were a great double act as Andre and Firman. They worked well together as the new theatre managers, battling with the unknown entity. Both had very good vocals as well.

Aimee Clare totally embodied Mme Giry. She created a sense of intrigue about her relationship with the Phantom, which was nicely played. Aimee carried herself well, perfectly encapsulating the ballet teacher.

Rebecca Mainwaring played Meg Giry. Rebecca created a believable bond with Hannah, showing the friendship of Meg and Christine. This was a pleasing performance.

Phillip Smallman played Josef Buquet. He tormented the dancers, and played this cameo role well.

The Corps de Ballet dancers supported the action. As well as performing the ballet sequences well, they were able to show the abject fear of the Phantom, creating a good sense of hysteria, which was never over the top.

The huge ensemble worked well throughout, adding to the scenes as minor characters. The wall of sound that came off the stage during the big ensemble numbers, like ‘Masquerade’, was impressive, showing a well drilled ensemble.

Overall, this was a great production. The staging was breath-taking, with excellent principal performances and a strong ensemble.

A big thank you to everyone at Centenary Theatre Company for their kind invite and their hospitality. All the best for your next production, ‘The Girl on the Train’, in September.

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