Young Frankenstein

Musical Theatre has been known to draw on a lot of powerful emotions and none stronger than laughter and heart felt happiness. There is certainly no society like Hornsea Amateur Theatre Society for having the entire audience in stitches and leaving with smiles on their faces. This was displayed in the fullest in the society’s most recent show, Young Frankenstein. My sides were sore from laughing so much.

Kirsty Maiden and Ian Thompson should be commended on an extremely well put together show. It ran at an exceptionally acceptable pace with stage positioning being used perfectly. These two talented directors didn’t stop there. They also allowed the cast to flood into the audience and crawl out from under the stage. Every little nook and cranny was used to give a truly immersive experience for the audience. The set was magnificently put together with all set being projected onto the back of the stage allowing scenes to be set effortlessly. Even the change of scenes ran so much smoother with the projection changing with ease and extreme accuracy. The added set of chair, tables and bookcases worked well and was wonderfully adaptable to help with the fluidity of the show.

The singing was impeccable, led by the talented Andy McIntosh, particularly the ensemble numbers were very well harmonised and sounded brilliant. As I have come to expect for Hornsea. All the ensemble worked exceptionally well with the live band and were easily heard. Indeed, I’d question whether the cast needed microphones, they projected that well. Beth Hunter who played Elizabeth Benning had such a powerful voice to match the powerful character. She definitely came into her element with this role. Similarly, Tim Drage playing Inspector Kemp had a booming bass voice which rang round the room, and he could easily make himself heard over an angry hoard. I do think Joe Porte, who played the main man himself Fredderick Frankenstein, should be commended for his unwavering performance despite technical issues with his microphone, which due to his acting abilities didn’t impede the show. He was perfectly cast for this role and held true to the characters exceptionally well.

As I mentioned earlier the show was a festival of laughter and this was partly due to the excellent comedic delivery and timing of the cast. Amy Wood as Inga was a breath of fresh air and was simply a joy to watch, with audiences clutching their sides in ‘Roll in the Hay’. Russell Fallon as The Monster was hilarious. His timings and mannerisms were perfect for the role. Charlotte Royce as Frau Blaucher (cue sound affect) was not only funny with her delivery, but her expressions were sublime. Jake Baine as Igor was perfection. Everything about this young actor was right on the money and he should be exceedingly proud of his performance. One of my favourite moments of the show  was the song ‘Together Again’ The pairing of Jake Bainer & Joe Porte was so funny and the whole song had everyone rolling around the floor.

This group never disappoints on comic value. You can tell all the cast and crew have enjoyed putting the show together. I do want to congratulate the creative team on the out of the box thinking for this show. It was such an enjoyable experience, and I can’t wait to see how you push the boundaries of your next show. I hope the cast and crew continue to enjoy the rest of the show run and continue to create side splitting laughter and spread happiness through their audiences.

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