We Will Rock You

We Will Rock You has made a striking arrival on the amateur stage, and Will Desmond, lucky enough to have such an excellent cast and crew, chose this terrific production for his directing debut with Sevenoaks Players. Ben Elton’s script kept the audience laughing, clapping and foot tapping along to many of Queen’s rock classics.

The Stag Theatre’s large open stage was brightly lit with colourful neon, while the rest of Sam Gilham’s lighting design was equally effective, spotlighting individual characters when necessary. Multi-level scaffolding at the rear of the stage also housed the on-stage band, led by MD Carys Snipp, producing an incredible sound, giving full justice to this iconic music. It was especially pleasing to see the solo guitarist receiving well deserved recognition at the end. Appropriate props were mainly brought on and off by the cast. The costumes were excellent, although in one scene one performer’s shoes, edged in white, stood out against everyone else’s completely black footwear. Elyse Davis’s choreography was superb and full of energy by the well-disciplined ensemble and dancers.

This futuristic production featured strong acting and vocals by both principals and chorus,  Alex Dunmore as Galileo coped well with the vocal range of some of his solos and a standout performance came from Sophie Dunmore as Scaramouche. Not surprising they made an excellent pairing considering the are actually husband and wife! They certainly brought plenty of humour to their scenes. Claire Tilley displayed her vocal strength as Killer Queen, notably in ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, while her commanding stage presence, with just enough sass, perfectly suited the role. Dean Garnham as Brit and Iris Constant as Oz also stood out for their on-stage chemistry. James Johnson as Khashoggi and Sean McDowell as Buddy provided strong support and gave excellent performances in their own right.

After the bows, the full cast returned for an encore led by Galileo, ending with ‘We Are The Champions’ as the audience gave them the standing ovation they truly deserved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.