We Will Rock You (young@part)

What a fabulous show by Easy Street Theatre Company who brought the sounds of Queen to Sheffield and definitely rocked the audience.  ‘We Will Rock You’ is the story of a world deprived of original music and creative thought.  The young inhabitants are required to download their music from an approved list on a government database.   The story is set in a hell like dystopian future land in which the planet earth has been crudely transformed into Planet Mall.  The Bohemians are a group of rock inspired rebels who fight against the all-powerful Globalsoft company and its boss, the Killer Queen.

Produced by Salianne Foster-Major this was a fast paced and well thought out production by this talented group.    The vocals were strong and the work of Musical Director Gareth Lloyd had certainly paid off in both the solo and ensemble numbers.  Amanda Tyas, Choreographer, had created a range of routines which suited the differing levels of experience of the cast as well as reflecting the storyline.    It was great to see so many young people on stage and everyone contributed positively to a great production.

The Principal Cast all handled the, often difficult, vocals very well.  It’s not easy when the songs are part of pop music history and known (and often loved) by the audience.  Isaac Reid as Khashoggi, Teagan Middleton Taylor as Oz and Sammy Alston as Buddy all gave strong performances, with confident projection and good characterisation as they took their varying parts in the fight for freedom, individuality and the rebirth of the age of rock.  The energy of Ollie Spittlehouse Wain as Britney was infectious and it was impressive that he kept this up throughout the show.  Simone Williams as Killer Queen gave a confident and powerful performance.  She commanded the stage, as is required by the character, and was most imposing.  Danil Boudjada as Galileo Figaro and Jeri Linnell as Scaramouche, were excellent as the two young outsiders who cannot accept the bleak conformist future ahead of them.  Strong vocals and an understanding of their characters was evident in both performances as these two young actors worked very well together.

The whole theatre space was well used, including entrances through the auditorium and utilising the aisles for movement and song.   Up close the performers were just as good, not an easy thing to do.  The set was simple, but worked well and the entrance of Killer Queen on the high platform was particularly well executed by the actors and confidently managed by Simone.  Costumes were appropriate and the use of the screens really added to the show.  Sound was strong and the lighting design was perfect for the piece.

The sixty strong cast and ensemble included members of both the Junior and Senior Companies.  It was great to see such a variety of ages take to the stage and to watch the more experienced cast members support the younger performers.  Whilst the performance is the major output for theatre companies the way in which the cast worked together, the team spirit and empathy on stage are important parts of an actors development and this will no doubt have given the young members transferable skills which they can take with them into other social settings, education and employment.  Huge credit to the team at ESTC for nurturing and supporting young people to be the best that they can be both on stage and off.

A huge round of applause to the performers, Production Team and everyone who helped and supported front of house and backstage.

Jo Sykes, Youth Co-ordinator, NODA North East

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