Treasure Island

On a windy and blustery evening I was very much looking forward to being transported to a tropical island on board the Hispaniola, and Stage Door Youth didn’t disappoint right from the off when greeting me in reception.

Upon taking our seats (last in as my wife Ceri and I only made it just in time!), we were stunned by the intricate set detail in this lovely little theatre.  Society President Margaret Simmons welcomed the audience and rightfully gave a special mention to the wonderful volunteers that put this great set together.  I’d also like to give them a special mention at this point in the review as the detail was incredible.  I am very lucky to see many productions all the way across the Noda West Midlands area, and know of the kind of money that societies have to pay Set Companies for, what is a lot of the time, a set that wouldn’t be as good as what was on display here.  The transitions from Ship to Shore were seamlessly made aided by a wonderful crew (who dressed as pirate crew too!), and the props on show were superb, my favourites being the ships cannon at the end of act one and the flags for a bit of audience participation at the finale.

Treasure Island is based on the classic tale by Robert Louis Stevenson focusing on young Jim Hawkins who finds a Treasure Map, and sets sail to the island to discover untold riches.  Along the way he encounters Long John Silver, a cheeky parrot and lots of shipmates who turn out to be bloodthirsty pirates.  Where the Musical version differs mainly is with humour.  A beach bar, more hapless pirate types than scary ones, and a marooned gentleman with a penchant for song.

Directors John Roberts and Sue Simcock have undoubtably put in many hours with this great cast of talented young people.  They worked the stage well with good diction and happy faces showing that every single person loved being a part of the show.  While all characters were enjoyable, I was impressed by Georgia Beckett’s bully and then wimpy portrayal as pirate Black Dog, and Robyn Howard’s singing voice as Jim Hawkins as well as their confidence on stage.

Thank you for the invite, I cant wait for your next show !

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.