West Side Story

For their 2026 production, Studley Operatic Society (or SOS for short) chose a classic with resonances for today’s world in West Side Story.  Based, of course, on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, this tale of rivalry between two gangs, with elements of racism never far from the surface, has clear echoes in today’s America and the wider world.  That it ends in tragedy should surprise no-one, and the movingly portrayed final scenes struck a very emotional chord. 

The curtain opened onto a simple but very effective street set, incorporating a number of brick buildings (one of which cleverly opened out into Doc’s place) and also the all-important scaffolding balcony.  SOS had sacrificed the orchestra pit in order to make more space on stage, relocating the band to a separate room.  This worked really well for the ensemble scenes in particular, providing the necessary space for both the dance and fighting elements of the show to play out. 

The thing with a classic musical like West Side Story is that almost all of the audience knows almost all of the songs.  So the pressure is on the performers to deliver, and boy did they!  The singing in this show was of the highest quality, led by the principals but fully supported by the whole cast.  Despite their familiarity, these are not easy songs to sing, and the whole cast delivered without missing a beat.  Bravo!

Leading the Jets were Ed Mears as the reckless, charismatic Riff and Paul Mitchell, who gave an absolute powerhouse performance as the doomed Tony.  Ed Morgan brought a real edge to the role of Action, and Matthew McCracken, Jacob Finch and Eddie Faizey brought clear characterisation to the roles of A-Rab, Baby John and Diesel respectively.  Equally committed to their roles were Lee Rogers as Big Deal, Reece Claws as Mouthpiece and Emma Shaw as Tiger – there was a real feel of camaraderie amongst them all.  Grace Kennedy was very good in showing the frustration of the excluded Anybodys, whilst Emily Banks and Emily Capper-Smith gave as good as they got as the ‘Jet Ladies’ Graziella and Velma.

There was a totally different feel to the Sharks, reflecting their Puerto-Rican heritage (well done to the costume team, who clearly emphasised this with their choices.)  Although the men were posturing with the best of them, this was a side in many ways led by the women, with Laura Munro’s confident, love-struck Maria and Molly-Rose Pughe’s feisty Anita leading the way.  Kelly Mitchell and Sophie Hill were also on top form as Rosalia and Consuelo respectively.  Matt Bridgewater played the doomed Bernardo with great power and stage presence, whilst Russell Hay was convincingly unhinged as the revenge-seeking Chino.  A word to for Brody Honeyghan, who made a great debut with SOS in the role of Pepe.

Completing the principals were the ‘adults’ – Steve Lengden as Officer Krupke and Steve Hyde as Lieutenant Shrank did their best to keep order as the kids mocked them behind their back, whilst Racheal Finch’s Glad Hand desperately tried to cajole them into order.  Last but, absolutely not least, was Steve Sidaway as Doc – the moment in which he intervened in the Jets’ attack on Anita was powerfully done, a great piece of acting. 

West Side Story, with its tale of gang warfare, feels like a real ensemble show, and SOS have assembled an incredibly strong group of performers who worked together brilliantly.  With so many people on stage at once, it would be easy for actors to switch off from time to time, but there was absolutely no sign of that here, as the whole cast were fully involved and engaged in the action throughout.  Highlights included an electrifying ‘America’; a thrilling, edgy ‘Tonight’ and a beautiful ballet sequence as Tony and Maria envisioned their wedding.  There was also plenty of great humour to leaven the mood, with ‘Gee Officer Krupke’ another standout.

The excellent choreography, by Deb Mitchell, was a real strength of this show. Full of interesting, angular movement, almost balletic at times and was elevated (literally) by the use of some complex looking lifts which were executed with confidence, skill and precision.  It all worked superbly well for both the ensemble musical numbers and the fight scenes.  Well done to the whole cast on delivering such evocative movement – the fruit of many hours work in the rehearsal room, no doubt. 

The show was well directed by Kevin and Alison Hirons – returning in style following a two year break.  There was great pace to the whole show, and it was a masterstroke to end on a reprise of ‘Somewhere’ – offering some hope amongst the tragedy, as the whole cast – both the survivors and the dead – slowly gathered on stage, their voices lifting the mood.  What a finale!  There were so many great touches.  I loved the slow drop of the curtain at the end of the first act, as the bodies of and Riff Bernardo lay motionless, bathed in atmospheric red light on stage.  The lighting, in fact, was strong throughout, with good use of colour and spotlighting to enhance the drama. 

The fourteen-piece orchestra, led by musical director Nick Allen, may have been hidden away from the audience but they made their presence felt with an immaculate rendering of Bernstein’s often complex music.  A word too for the sound team, who made sure that Sondheim’s brilliant lyrics, so critical to establishing the mood of the show, were clearly audible.  This also reflected great work by the whole cast in making sure their diction was clear.

All in all, West Side Story was a spectacular success for SOS, all the way from the stylish opening to the emotionally overwhelming climax, this was a great performance which was fittingly witnessed by a sold out audience.  Hearty congratulations to all involved.  I look forward to seeing you all again next year, when another classic, Guys and Dolls, hits the Palace theatre stage.

Chris Davies, Regional Represenative District 5

I was pleased to once again attend a show performed by Studley Operatic Society. It was good to attend the same performance as Chris, and in addition we were joined by Kay Rowan, National President of NODA.

Chris has fully captured the exceptional standard of this performance, and, on this occasion, I can add very little. The production had pace and was slick from start to finish. The choreography was particularly good, as were the well-staged fight scenes, which appeared realistic and were executed to great effect.

The singing was evocative, creating a strong sense of nostalgia and contributing greatly to the depth and authenticity of the characters.

In short, this was a truly remarkable piece of theatre, with every character pulling off an amazing performance.

And next for SoS — another traditional show: Guys and Dolls in April 2027.

Andy Brown, Regional Councillor NODA West Midlands

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