The Witches of Eastwick

The Witches of Eastwick tells the story of three frustrated and bored divorcees who one stormy night wish for their perfect man. Into the mix comes Darryl Van Horne, a bewitching stranger with unique powers, who proceeds to seduce each of the women in turn. Their new unorthodox lifestyle scandalises the local townsfolk. The three ‘witches’, Deborah McPherson (Alexandra Spofford), Sara Evans-Bolger (Jane Smart) and Claire Jarman (Sukie Rougemont) were undeniably the stars of the show. They were excellent in their individual roles but together they were truly amazing. The chemistry between them was superb, their harmonious singing was divine and their transformation from ordinary housewives to erotically attired and decadent sex sirens was devilishly wicked. Duncan Leech as Daryl Van Horne has great stage presence and oozes self confidence. He combined the many aspects of the character, from sophistication to outright eccentricity, lustfulness and sleaziness, with ease, demonstrating excellent acting and singing ability. There was a strong performance from Yvonne Taylor as the self appointed first lady of Eastwick, Felicia Gabriel, her regurgitations of balls and feathers were effortlessly achieved and her demise was adeptly handled. I loved the portrayal of her downtrodden husband Clyde, by Damon Hatton. At times his actions were hilarious, none more so than in ’Dance with the Devil’. He was the only male on stage to keep on his vest and his pole dancing had to be seen to be believed. The pairing of Helen Perry (Jennifer Gabriel) and Andrew Buxton (Michael Spofford) was lovely. They were charming together and their singing of ‘Something’ was heavenly. Andrew also showed his versatility in the number ‘Dance with the Devil’ where he was superb. Offering excellent support was Rachel Clines (Greta Neff), Sarah Gration (Gina Marino), Louise Curd (Brenda Parsley) and Chris Parkes (Fidel) who raised great mirth from the audience whenever he appeared, as he flamboyantly minced across the stage on precariously high heels! The imaginatively choreographed chorus numbers were all enthusiastically performed especially the energetic, impassioned and steamy ‘Dance with the Devil’ choroegraphed by Chris Parkes. The sets and props were great as were the lighting and resounding sound effects and the use of a trap door added an extra dimension. The flying of the witches was spectacular. Credit must go not only to the ‘witches’ but also to the backstage crew for their expertise not just for this, but for all their input. The orchestra was magnificent but just occasionally it did overpower the soloists but, in fairness, there was also a few problems with the sound in general. Congratulations to the production team, to the whole cast, to the backstage crew and to everyone involved, for a wonderfully entertaining and fun filled show.

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