West Side Story

From the second the orchestra struck up you knew this was going to be a night to remember and it certainly was, it was electric from start to finish.

There was not a weak link in the whole show and everyone pulled all the stops out to make it not just a great show but a fantastic show.

All the principal characters should be very proud of themselves whether they had one line or many lines they worked as a team to make this show work.

This of course is a modern day take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and for this to work you have to have two very good leading characters. Well in this production they had, in the guise of Henry Eaglesfield as Tony and Fiona Markey as Maria, they both looked the part and acted and sang their socks off to bring both parts to life. Both very accomplished vocally they delighted the audience as they reeled off the iconic West Side Story songs.  I especially liked their “Tonight”, it was breathtaking and I would think everyone in the audience lived every breath they took and every note they sang.

Carmelo Vivian as Riff and George Roberts as Bernardo were well cast. They sang, danced and yes fought their way through this show with confidence. Two strong performances here.

Anita was played by the very capable Leonie Ormerod. This all rounder was able to dance and sing her heart out. She showed a maturity that balanced well with the innocence of Maria.

There are far too many parts in this piece to mention them all but mention must be made of Ben Long as Action. Ben was able to get every bit of emotion from this part whether it be comedy, tragedy or anything in between. He really pulled out all the stops and I enjoyed his performance immensely.

Mention must also be made of Jack Dann as Shrank, again not a very big part but one, which is very important to the plot and required good characterization. A little forceful at times but never the less he made this part his own and delivered the lines to the full.

One of my favourite numbers in this show was the Tonight Quintet which calls for 5 soloists, groups and duets to sing against each other, not an easy task but one which did work here, not a single note or word was lost.

The Jets and the Sharks with their everlasting hate of one another came across well with some very good cameo performances. Emma Morter as the Ballet Singer sang with quality and was a delight to listen to.

The movement around the set was very good; some excellent pictures were created, well lit and with the follow spots bang on.

The set was minimalistic but worked well with the fast moving scenes.

Choreography was well thought out obviously enjoyed by all the company.

America, The Rumble and Officer Krupke were all highlights.

These performers were a real team; all working together with confidence and in colourful costumes which added much. The chorus gave good vocal support to the strong principals.

I had a great evening and I know your audience did too.

Congratulations to you all.

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