Whistle Down the Wind

The Lloyd Webber/Steinman musical “Whistle Down the Wind” is based on the Mary Hayley Bell book and the 1961 film set in Lancashire but the action is reset to Louisiana in 1959. The central character of Swallow is portrayed as a 15 year old who is struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother and discovers a stranger in the barn who she believes is Jesus and can bring her mother back; the story contrasts the brutality of adults with the innocence of children.

Maximum use was made of the small performance area using different levels and a trap door set up in the barn scenes which ensured the dramatic disappearance of “The Man”, this was enhanced by a good lighting plot ensuring focus and atmosphere throughout. Scene changes were slick and kept the action flowing.

The score is notoriously difficult with clashing harmonies and contrasting melodies but the company tackled it well and the singing was strong with excellent accompaniment from the band. The children’s ensemble has the two most well-known songs, “When Children Rule the World” and “No Matter What”, and they certainly did them justice. The adult ensemble and supporting principals worked hard throughout the performance to portray the anger and concern for their community and the children were excellent in both their singing and dramatic interpretation.

Emily Furmedge and Cameron Burgess as Candy and Amos portrayed the town’s troubled teenagers, craving a life outside of their closed community; their vocal performances were good and Cameron as Amos showed tenderness in his scenes with Swallow, in particular during “A Kiss is a Terrible Thing to Waste”. Clark Adamson as Boone together with Elliott Robinson as Poor Baby, Eleanor Adamson as Brat and Rowanne Allon as Swallow made a believable family unit, the care they shared for each other was tangible and all of their performances were strong. Clark did a convincing job conveying the difficulty in understanding his children’s needs while struggling with his own loss and Elliott and Eleanor were totally focused and committed to their characters. The role of “The Man” is a challenge for any performer but Jonathan Robson seized the opportunity to give the role his all, his scenes with Swallow were played with sensitivity and he had a real connection with the children. Rowanne Allon was the perfect Swallow, a delight to watch, her vocals were excellent especially in “If Only” and she had a believable naivety and vulnerability in her characterisation.

Congratulations to Julie, Chinami, Rowanne and Emily for creating a very enjoyable production. I was delighted to see the group’s Honorary Life President Bill Stephenson presented with his 60 year Noda long service award, what an achievement.

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