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The Sound of Music

Author: Pete Astbury

Information

Date
9th November 2012
Society
Accrington Theatre Group
Venue
Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Type of Production
Musical
Director
Howard Raw
Musical Director
Richard Patel
Choreographer
Katie Readman

I have to say I was looking forward to this production, Accrington always put on excellent shows and this was no exception. Under the expert guiding hand of Director Howard Raw this performance was a feast for the eyes and ears and was without doubt exceptional! The orchestra, under the expect hand of Musical Director Richard Patel was perfect from the first notes of the overture. The sound was excellent, crisp and clear in every department so well done to Glenn Knight!

The group had made excellent use of the available space with a forestage area in front of the pit and to stage left being used to good effect to minimise disruption during scene changes, which even so were slick and barely noticeable so well done to Carolyne Holden and her crew! The lighting was spot on and the challenge of lighting effectively the differing performance areas was extremely well accomplished by the use of intelligent fixtures by Paddy Keane and his crew.

It’s very easy to become distracted during productions if something is not quite right, but I have to say that I and clearly the whole audience were thoroughly absorbed from the moment the curtains opened as there was nothing to distract from enjoying the performance. The scenery was well thought through, particularly the Von Trapp mansion and the costumes perfect for the period.

This was an extremely strong cast and I was taken with each individual performance. The ladies choir drafted in to provide support for the large chorus numbers was an inspired idea and filled the auditorium with perfectly pitched harmonies, stunning!

Now to the cast! Sue Morretta put in a superb performance as the Mother Abbess and her rendition of Climb Every Mountain was faultless. Sisters Bertha, Sophia and Margaretta were very ably played with just the right amount of piety and tongue in cheek humour by Rachel Dootson, Anna Cryer and Maria Masterman, well done to you! The servants Franz and Frau Schmit were taken on by Dave Pilkington and Kathleen Watkins, always a delight to watch these two in paired roles, like an old married couple (but in a good way!)

The Von Trapp children were an absolute pleasure to watch with all of them giving outstanding performances. They were all superb but my favourites were Liesl the conflicted 16 year old expertly interpreted by Sarah Wade and little Gretl, Isabel Smith, who despite her obviously tender years delivered every line perfectly! The other children were equally up to the task Jamie Hall as Frederich, Lillie Drummer as Louisa, Oscar Drummer as Kurt, Maddie Drummer as Brigitta and Gracie Hall as Marta all give excellent performances, well done to you, you were terrific!

Simon Jackson was great in the role of Rolf, balancing well the conflict between his status in the Hitler Youth and his affection for the Von Trapps. A very strong performance from Howard Raw as Max Detweiller was the perfect foil for Sally Hindle who brought Baroness Schraeder to the stage superbly. Tony Cousins and Gary Waugh as the Nazi officers played their parts very well staying in character throughout, even when they were sat in the audience in the festival scene.

So to the main characters; Peter Norris was outstanding as Georg Von Trapp. He captured the aristocratic Austrian stiffness of the character perfectly. With excellent vocal delivery and pitch perfect singing, this performance would not have been out of place on a West End stage. The crown in this show has to go to Gina Cole in the role of Maria. I’ve seen Gina play several roles but this one for me was her pinnacle to date, her delivery of the character was flawless and totally believable and her songs were an absolute delight to listen to, so hats off to you Gina, as they say on the X Factor, you absolutely nailed it!

All the choreography was superb so well done to Katie Readman and finally to director Howard Raw, Howard always pushes his cast to get the most out of them, recognising the strengths in individuals and developing those traits within each character to get the best possible performance and I have to say that in this show he has certainly achieved this. I haven’t enjoyed watching a show as much as this one in a long time, so congratulations to all at ATG and keep up the good work, I know you will!

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