Through The decades

Many people outside the theatre world may assume that directing and performing in a revue-style show is far easier than staging a book musical such as Oklahoma! or Carousel. However, anyone who has directed this kind of production will tell you that it is certainly not easier—far from it.

With a book musical, much of the framework is already in place: the music has been chosen, the storyline is established, and the transitions from scene to scene are largely built into the script.

In a revue, the production team must make all of those decisions themselves. In this production, every choice—from the music and the performers to the storyline connecting it all—was handled beautifully by the three director/choreographers.

The show took the audience on a lively journey from the 1950s through to the noughties, with each decade offering a cracking selection of songs, all delivered superbly.

The evening began in the 1950s with “Roll Over Beethoven,” sung by Emily Lovell-Fergusson and Sam Bates. Both are seasoned performers and more than capable of delivering the goods, and the entire audience was soon rocking in the aisles.

Of course, no 1950s selection would be complete without a few Elvis numbers. Here we were treated to five of the best: “Teddy Bear,” “All Shook Up,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” and “Hound Dog.” These were performed by Sam Bates, Rach Howard, Bailey-Jake Corker, Shelley Edwards, and the full cast, who had everyone jiving along.

The show quickly moved into the 1960s, with numbers including Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual,” delivered perfectly by Rach Howard, Abbie Edwards, and Carrie Roche-Sage. There were far too many songs in this very full show to mention individually, but the Beatles medley, performed by various members of the company, deserves special praise.

Before the interval, the audience was treated to the 1970s, including Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana,” a great ABBA selection, and several other crowd-pleasing numbers that brought the first half to a vibrant close.

Sherlock Productions is a truly industrious society. Many members not only performed onstage but also worked front of house, selling programmes and raffle tickets and helping to ensure that everyone was enjoying themselves.

The second half opened with the 1980s and included songs such as “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Love Is a Battlefield,” “Man in the Mirror,” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” which featured the whole company dressed as zombies.

A highlight of the 1990s section was the Girl Band vs Boy Band medley, featuring “Bye Bye Bye,” “C’est La Vie,” “Keep On Moving,” “2 Become 1,” and “Relight My Fire.” The boy band—Francy Stamate, Nyle Reilly, Bailey-Jake Corker, Sam Bates, and Danny Hudson—brought the house down.

The final selection focused on the 2000s, or noughties. It included “Celestial,” sung beautifully by Sam Bates; “Changes,” performed by Jade Wilkinson and Emily Lovell-Fergusson; a Lady Gaga medley; and a superb rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” led by Carrie Roche-Sage, Rach Howard, Abbie Edwards, and Sam Bates, which once again brought the house down.

Before the final number, Shelley said a few words of thanks. She acknowledged the cast for their hard work, Frank Hoyland and Stuart Ogden for stepping in at the last minute to provide sound and lighting, and the audience for their continued support over the five years since Sherlock Productions was formed.

The final number was very special. Beautifully written by Shaz and beautifully delivered by the entire company, it was a moving end to the evening. I am sure there were many tearful eyes by the end of it; I know one pair certainly was.

Congratulations to everybody involved.

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