Whistle Down the Wind

WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND ... a musical staged and performed by members of SONG at The Atkinson Theatre, Lord Street, Southport on Friday, 10th April, 2026

This musical, with its uplifting score written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Jim Steinman is based on the 1961 film of the same name which starred a young Hayley Mills and Alan Bates, which was originally located in Lancashire... but Webber decided to relocate the story to the Deep American South, where you had fiery preachers, suspicion and a witch hunt mentality. When a group of children discover a fugitive hiding in their barn, they ask him who he is, he simply replies “Jesus Christ” before collapsing. Raised
in a devout Christian household, they believe and vow to protect him.  The ‘heart’ of this story centres around the innocence of children, the prejudices of adults, and the emotional journey of a 15‑year‑old called Swallow, who hopes this mysterious man can somehow reunite her with her late mother.

The Production Team… taking us on this journey through the “Deep American South” were the ever so experienced Jacqui Lewis (Director), Tom Kinmmance (Musical Director) and Philippa Sandiford (Choreographer) who all deserve huge credit. Their casting was spot‑on, the detail throughout the show was impressive and the ensemble work was tight, confident, musically impressive and staged really well. The blocking in particular elevated the atmosphere and storytelling. As I told
the cast at the post-performance meet, ‘Learn from these three, they’ve done a great job and they clearly know what you were doing!

The Cast... responsible for taking us on this adventure to a religious town in the deep American South in the 1950s, was a cast of twenty‑seven talented young actors who, as soon as those lights came up, looked engaged, well‑rehearsed and fully prepared for the challenges ahead. There was a real feel of group togetherness from the off and that togetherness added to both the physical and emotional elements of the story!  The cast included ...
Fleur Grace Wigmore who played ‘Swallow’; Fred Holland-Carson – ‘The Man’; Nathaniel Grills – ‘Boone’; Thea Shawcroft – ‘Poor Baby’; Lucas Creed – ‘Brat’; Alfie Christian – Amos’; Hannah Arnold – ‘Candy’; Noah Vogel – ‘Earl’; Andrew Dunnett-Edge – ‘Snake Preacher’; Lucia Taylor Valles – ‘Minister; Lucy Scott – Charity; Lucy Manchester – Newsreader; Bryony Jones – ‘Ramona’; Autumn Henney-Wright – ‘Jackie’; Isaac Shea – Edward; Jacob Follett – ‘Sheriff’; Issac Holton – ‘Deputy’; Isabella Flannery – ‘Lavonne’;  Hattie Mahood – ‘Winnie’; Lucy Crookes – ‘Elizabeth’; Imogen Povey – ‘Vikki’;  Matilda Nicholl – ‘Curly’; Sienna Shawcroft - ‘Shopkeeper’.  Ensemble - Maisie Francis; Isla Goffey; Cassidy Ackers; Jessica Jackson.
Okay… it’s ‘sticky neck out time’! As I mentioned earlier, I thought the casting was spot‑on, and that’s exactly why choosing a single ‘show stealer’ feels almost impossible. In truth, I don’t believe the success of this musical rested on any one performer, although I will still be picking a few of MY favourite characters later... but, in my opinion, the success of this production was due to the entire cast giving their all. Every performer seemed to understand their role and that collective commitment is what made the whole thing work ever so well. But, having said all that and slightly moving away from ‘my norm’ my ‘shout outs’ go to two couples, the first being our two leads Fleur Grace Wigmore and Fred Holland-Carson who played ‘Swallow and ‘The Man’ respectively. I’ve seen Fleur on many occasions, but I felt that this was one of her best performances to date. The eldest of three children from a very religious family, Fleur showed empathy toward her siblings and toward ‘The Man’ who she believes, in her naivety, to be Jesus Christ! Great stage presence, confident and her chemistry with Fred was brilliant. They say it takes ‘two to tango’ and Fred did a wonderful job and helped create some memorable moments with Fleur. I was seeing Fred for the first time and I felt this young man has huge potential. Confident, powerful characterisation, great mannerisms and a great singing voice... be very proud both of you! Hannah Arnold and Alfie Christian are my second couple, they played ‘Candy’ and ‘Amos’ respectively. These two showed exactly why they were NODA‑nominated last year, along with Fleur. Alfie gave us this ‘motor-biking rebel with a cause’, his energy was spot‑on as was Hannah’s, who radiated confidence from her first entrance to final bow! Their duet ‘Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts’ and their song ‘Wrestle the Devil’ with the Pastor and the ensemble were notable... be proud you two.  Before I move on can, I just mention two young people for totally different reasons... Lucy Crookes who played the cameo role of Elizabeth. Lucy sang part of the opening number, she really does have a gorgeous voice, I wanted to hear more and lastly, I couldn’t move on without a word about Thea Shawcroft, aged just ten, who played ‘Poor Baby’ .... provided a great character, honestly, she just melted my heart! Thanks everyone... be so very proud great show!

Staging and Tech… an open stage greeted us as we entered the theatre which revealed a beautifully rustic barn set, complete with a working door (which later, when opened revealed the orchestra). A set of wooden steps leading to an upper level worked really well. Projection was used effectively to shift mood and location as did the trucks and lighting transitions which allowed everything to keep flowing. And yes — the full‑sized motorbike was a brilliant touch! Stage Management was led by Radley Haynes (Stage Manager), supported by Chris and Chloe Morris, Issy Housley and Brendan Gillow. Lighting was overseen by Max Houghton (Atkinson Staff) along with Jacqui Lewis. Sound was expertly handled by Matt Hughes, with Projection: by Moonlight Events Ltd. A great job!

Costumes ... authentic and looked amazing on stage... under the watchful eye of Karen Fairclough. Props... again looked authentic/used well-being looked after by Bev & Zara Newton.

Chaperones... as always, a huge thank‑you to these selfless people who make youth productions possible: Guy Wigmore (Safeguarding Officer), Tracy Ackers, Lucy Mahood, Helen Povey, Pamela Scott, Laura Shawcroft, Stephen Vogel, Candice Follett, Lynne Wigmore and Sarah Boyack. Thank you so much for your commitment — your contribution matters more than you know.

Constructive Advice... just a little nudge about accents and I hope I don’t offend anyone! Accents can and are a vital tool in some theatrical performances. When employing an accent, it’s essential to maintain it consistently throughout your performance. If you have a song to sing, try and include it in your vocals, this can be a challenge, but achieving it does enhance your performance. We had some ‘deep southern accents’ in this production which started well, but drifted a little as the production moved along!  BUT, never let an accent compromise the clarity of your dialogue... it’s essential that your audience understand every word you say!

Thank you so much for inviting my wife and I, for your hospitality throughout and for allowing me to have a few moment with the Cast, Production Team and Crew post-performance. As always, I love supporting you guys as I do all my Youth Groups, again said post-show ... “YOUTH IS THE FUTURE OF AMATEUR THEATRE IN THIS AREA” ...  if tonight is anything to go by, it’s in safe hands!

Stay Safe/Keep well 
“Stronger Together”
Jim Briscoe,
NODA NW 
District 6 Rep

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