We Will Rock you

What do you do when it’s your job to find the words to describe what you have just witnessed,  when no words can really do it justice? Well. I’ll just have to give it a go, and try to put across how much I loved this production.  Under the expert direction of Danyl James, SYPA latest production was the Queen inspired musical,  We Will Rock You, a premiere for the Rotherham Civic Theatre. With the  combined talents of James, the cast and the iconic music of Queen, you knew you were going to see something special. As well directing credits, James is also the Vocal Coach and Choreographer and what a fabulous job he did of all three. As I have come to expect,  the choreography was slick, fresh and perfectly executed by this talented company. The live rock band under the direction of Andy Collis added so much to the production and the sound level was just right. 

Over the week the cast was split into two teams and although sad, that I can only report on the night I attended I have heard great things about team WFS from colleagues who attended these performances. 
The set was fabulous with a good quality video wall, onstage props were added to the scenes for the cast to hide behind and interact with. Well done to Emma and Yvette for sourcing so many props. The costume team should be applauded, as the costumes were first rate, and you could tell that which rock star they were supposed to be . It would be amiss of me not to mention the outstanding lights in this show. Not only did we the audience, get a great performance from the performers, we got a light show thrown in. 

Jonny Farmer, Buddy, delivered his comedic lines with ease and gave us a heartfelt performance of ‘These Are The Days of Our Lives’ Reuben Clayton and Maisie Ashira performed as Brit and Oz respectively, and were a well matched duo. As well as delivering bucket loads of sass, they also delivered some of the evenings most emotional moments.  Clayton gave  great energy and physicality to Brit whilst Ashira’s rendition of ‘No One But You’ was emotional and poignant in equal measure. You could hear a pin drop in the auditorium as the audience listened and watched, as images icons, no longer with us flashed on the video wall. 

Amelia Shaw, as our villain, Killer Queen was perfection. With her powerful voice and great acting, Shaw command of the stage as if it was her kingdom. Her assistant, Chief of Police, Khashoggi, was expertly played by local theatre favourite, Adam Wigglesworth. Wigglesworth once again showed Rotherham audiences what a versatile performer he is, and shared his incredible vocal range with us. 

Last but by no means least, the two characters that hold the entire show together, Scaramouche and Galileo. The lynch pin of the show and these two young performers were exceptional. This is the first time I’ve seen Brontë Simmons on stage and I really hope it isn’t the last". The true meaning of the saying ‘triple threat’ in that she can dance, sing and most certainly act. As Galileo, we had the outstanding Bobby Miller. Miller gave an impressive performance and handled the vocal demands on this role with ease and maturity beyond his years. 

The talented ensemble were very strong, and vocally flawless throughout, with each member committing to their individual character. 

From the cast, production team, musicians, backstage crew, technicians and the chaperones, everyone played their part in bringing this incredible piece of theatre to Rotherham.

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