SISTER ACT 2019 - NODA
Sister Act is the amazing feel-good comedy based on the smash hit movie of the same name starring Whoopie Goldberg and Maggie Smith. When ‘disco-diva’ Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody, in the one place the cops are sure she won’t be found: a convent. Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and an uptight Mother Superior. Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and its community, but in doing so, she blows her cover. Soon the gang are giving chase, only to find themselves up against a Deloris and her newfound ‘sisterhood’. This musical is not only filled with powerful gospel music, outrageous dancing, comedy aplenty…
it has a truly moving story to be told as well!
I have seen the Sister Act films many times and loved them, but this was my first viewing of the musical, so if like me, you thought you’d know all the songs you may have been a little disappointed; but rest assured, once you heard ‘Take me to Heaven’ you had forgotten the film and all you wanted to do was, sit back and wait to be entertained ….and entertained we were!
With Rainhill Village Hall packed to the rafters…not a seat to be had, the curtain opened, and the music began! ‘Take me to Heaven’ then filled the room…and you just knew! ‘Deloris Van Cartier’ played by Lucy Bradshaw, flanked by her backing singers ‘Michelle’ and ‘Tina’ played respectively by Laura Riley and Michelle Williams set the tone, the pace and the standard for the entire show!
With seventeen named cast members and so many memorable performances, I find myself in a difficult position! To highlight some without possibly doing injustice to others is difficult, but, having said that, I do feel that I need to highlight the following….
Lucy Bradshaw took us on an emotional journey with a great portrayal of ‘Deloris Van Cartier’! From the ‘brash’, ‘feisty’, ‘frightened’, ‘crazy Deloris’ we first meet, to the gentle, softer, emotional Deloris we see toward the end! Confident, with great comedic timing and a powerful voice - ‘Take me to Heaven’, as previously stated, set the standard for the entire show! Lucy made this part her own….be ever so proud!
Samantha Moores was a ‘perfect fit’ for the role of ‘Mother Superior’. Great diction, good comedic timing, singing was perfect throughout, just a lovely performance – well done!
Bryan Dargie gave a terrific performance as the murdering villain of the piece, ‘Curtis Jackson’. Forceful, menacing, sinister; someone you wouldn’t like to meet in a dark alley! Good singing voice, his rendition of ‘When I find my Baby’ was a highlight for me… superb casting - well done sir!
Paul Robinson played the part of ‘Eddie’ or ‘Sweaty Eddie’ as he became better known; our ‘not so clever cop’! Paul showed the many sides of this character; his song ‘I could be that Guy’ was sung with emotion and a sense of meaning…well done!
Our Nuns and Clergy…. ‘Sister Mary Patrick’ played by Julie Molyneux; ‘Sister Mary Robert’ played by Bláthíne Maguire, ‘Sister Mary Lazarus’ played by Ruth Gibb, ‘Sister Mary Martin of Tours’ played by Michelle Williams, ‘Sister Mary Theresa’ played by Marjorie Davies and last but not least ‘Monsignor’ played by Addae Gaskin… individually great, each brought life to their respective characters; together as a group….just fabulous, adding so much to the overall production, again be proud!
‘Curtis Jackson’s sidekicks’…’TJ’ played by Elliot Bailey (luved the boots), ‘Joey’ played by Dave Flanagan and ‘Pablo’ played by Ben Evans - Clarke…again individually great, together the chemistry was superb! Their rendition of the ‘Lady in the Long Black Dress’ - a ‘showstopper’, a ‘highlight’ for me, brought the house down!
The ensemble supported the principal cast very well and it was obvious from the very start that everyone on stage ‘loved’ being part of this show! Everyone acted, sang and danced their hearts out, they had obviously worked hard, thought about their characters and were so enthusiastic…well done!
The set was a simple set, which worked well with some nice touches (church windows at the back of the stage when lit had a real feeling of stained glass). Thanks to Tony Dagnall and his team. Costumes were in keeping with the era and added to the overall production…congrats to Pip Bradshaw, Karen Woods, Ruth Gibb, Claire Jones and Charades Theatrical Costume Hire.
Sound and Lighting are always important to any show. I am more than aware of the problems and issues faced at Rainhill which they try so hard to overcome. But you can only achieve what you can with what you have and overall everything worked very well! There were a few small issues, none of which detracted from the overall performance in fact ‘one late doorbell ring’…brought the audience to their feet! So well done to Joe Massey and Les Dagnall respectively, be proud guys!
Before we move on from ‘sound - “What’s the first thing that people think about at a musical? - THE MUSIC! That was provided by Wayne Oakes and his amazing orchestra who were located in a small room at the back of the ‘village hall’ and linked to the main auditorium by TV and Video link…’only achieve what you can with what you have’.. need I say more! The music was superb, the way it was linked, amazing! Congrats to the ‘technical wizard’ Joe Massey who made this happen!
A wonderful show with a wonderful cast, well directed, musically ‘toe tappingly’ brilliant, with some good choreography. All credit to Pip Bradshaw (Director), Wayne Oakes (Musical Director), Lucy Bradshaw (Choreographer) and the entire Production Team for this excellent production- well done – be proud!
Finally, congratulations again to everyone involved. Thank you so much for inviting my wife and I. Thanks to Pip and Keith for your hospitality throughout and for making us feel so welcome. Look forward to seeing you all again soon.
it has a truly moving story to be told as well!
I have seen the Sister Act films many times and loved them, but this was my first viewing of the musical, so if like me, you thought you’d know all the songs you may have been a little disappointed; but rest assured, once you heard ‘Take me to Heaven’ you had forgotten the film and all you wanted to do was, sit back and wait to be entertained ….and entertained we were!
With Rainhill Village Hall packed to the rafters…not a seat to be had, the curtain opened, and the music began! ‘Take me to Heaven’ then filled the room…and you just knew! ‘Deloris Van Cartier’ played by Lucy Bradshaw, flanked by her backing singers ‘Michelle’ and ‘Tina’ played respectively by Laura Riley and Michelle Williams set the tone, the pace and the standard for the entire show!
With seventeen named cast members and so many memorable performances, I find myself in a difficult position! To highlight some without possibly doing injustice to others is difficult, but, having said that, I do feel that I need to highlight the following….
Lucy Bradshaw took us on an emotional journey with a great portrayal of ‘Deloris Van Cartier’! From the ‘brash’, ‘feisty’, ‘frightened’, ‘crazy Deloris’ we first meet, to the gentle, softer, emotional Deloris we see toward the end! Confident, with great comedic timing and a powerful voice - ‘Take me to Heaven’, as previously stated, set the standard for the entire show! Lucy made this part her own….be ever so proud!
Samantha Moores was a ‘perfect fit’ for the role of ‘Mother Superior’. Great diction, good comedic timing, singing was perfect throughout, just a lovely performance – well done!
Bryan Dargie gave a terrific performance as the murdering villain of the piece, ‘Curtis Jackson’. Forceful, menacing, sinister; someone you wouldn’t like to meet in a dark alley! Good singing voice, his rendition of ‘When I find my Baby’ was a highlight for me… superb casting - well done sir!
Paul Robinson played the part of ‘Eddie’ or ‘Sweaty Eddie’ as he became better known; our ‘not so clever cop’! Paul showed the many sides of this character; his song ‘I could be that Guy’ was sung with emotion and a sense of meaning…well done!
Our Nuns and Clergy…. ‘Sister Mary Patrick’ played by Julie Molyneux; ‘Sister Mary Robert’ played by Bláthíne Maguire, ‘Sister Mary Lazarus’ played by Ruth Gibb, ‘Sister Mary Martin of Tours’ played by Michelle Williams, ‘Sister Mary Theresa’ played by Marjorie Davies and last but not least ‘Monsignor’ played by Addae Gaskin… individually great, each brought life to their respective characters; together as a group….just fabulous, adding so much to the overall production, again be proud!
‘Curtis Jackson’s sidekicks’…’TJ’ played by Elliot Bailey (luved the boots), ‘Joey’ played by Dave Flanagan and ‘Pablo’ played by Ben Evans - Clarke…again individually great, together the chemistry was superb! Their rendition of the ‘Lady in the Long Black Dress’ - a ‘showstopper’, a ‘highlight’ for me, brought the house down!
The ensemble supported the principal cast very well and it was obvious from the very start that everyone on stage ‘loved’ being part of this show! Everyone acted, sang and danced their hearts out, they had obviously worked hard, thought about their characters and were so enthusiastic…well done!
The set was a simple set, which worked well with some nice touches (church windows at the back of the stage when lit had a real feeling of stained glass). Thanks to Tony Dagnall and his team. Costumes were in keeping with the era and added to the overall production…congrats to Pip Bradshaw, Karen Woods, Ruth Gibb, Claire Jones and Charades Theatrical Costume Hire.
Sound and Lighting are always important to any show. I am more than aware of the problems and issues faced at Rainhill which they try so hard to overcome. But you can only achieve what you can with what you have and overall everything worked very well! There were a few small issues, none of which detracted from the overall performance in fact ‘one late doorbell ring’…brought the audience to their feet! So well done to Joe Massey and Les Dagnall respectively, be proud guys!
Before we move on from ‘sound - “What’s the first thing that people think about at a musical? - THE MUSIC! That was provided by Wayne Oakes and his amazing orchestra who were located in a small room at the back of the ‘village hall’ and linked to the main auditorium by TV and Video link…’only achieve what you can with what you have’.. need I say more! The music was superb, the way it was linked, amazing! Congrats to the ‘technical wizard’ Joe Massey who made this happen!
A wonderful show with a wonderful cast, well directed, musically ‘toe tappingly’ brilliant, with some good choreography. All credit to Pip Bradshaw (Director), Wayne Oakes (Musical Director), Lucy Bradshaw (Choreographer) and the entire Production Team for this excellent production- well done – be proud!
Finally, congratulations again to everyone involved. Thank you so much for inviting my wife and I. Thanks to Pip and Keith for your hospitality throughout and for making us feel so welcome. Look forward to seeing you all again soon.
made in dagenham - NODA - 16.6.2018
MADE IN DAGENHAM, a musical, presented by Rainhill Musical Theatre Company on Saturday, 16th June 2018 at Rainhill Village Hall.
This was, by anyone’s standards, an outstanding piece of theatre! The production was well cast, well directed, musically brilliant, with some good choreography. Credit for this must go to John Garfield-Roberts (Director), Wayne Oakes (Musical Director) Lucy Bradshaw (Choreographer) Ruth Gibb (Producer) and the entire Production Team for a job well done!
Made in Dagenham is based on a true, heart warming story that began in June 1968 at the Ford Factory in Dagenham, Essex. It tells the story of six women and a 20-year battle to get their pay reviewed and re-graded to be in line with that of the male workers doing a similar skilled level of work. Things come to a head and the women have had enough and simply say ‘EVERYBODY OUT’. We follow the O’Grady family and their personal struggle to stay together against a backdrop of sexism, poverty and a class system, all of which are conspiring to ‘’grind them down’.
The production was excellent from ‘first note to last’. It moved seamlessly between humour and raw emotion with some superb musical interludes thrown in for good measure!
There were so many quality performances in this production that it really isn’t easy to pick out individuals without doing injustice to others, but, after saying that, I really do feel that the following cast members need to be highlighted for their amazing performance……
Holly Murphy’s portrayal of Rita O’Grady was outstanding. From the moment the curtains opened she just took us on a journey from wife, mother and shop floor worker to an unwilling leader of women, thrust into the limelight, whilst fighting the establishment and leading the battle for equal pay for women! Faultless acting, wonderful vocals, great comedic timing and a whirlpool of emotion, Holly just had it all! She was well supported by Paul Robinson who played Eddie O’Grady, her husband. Paul was the perfect foil for Holly and gave a great performance as the lovable husband who went from ‘bread winner’ to ‘support act’ as Holly’s fame grew and was then left trying to hold the family together. Their duet ‘Can’t Do It Anymore’ was so believable and so poignant! PS: let’s not forget the O’Grady kids ... Mathew Hummerston (Graham) and Maisie Riley (Sharon) really did play their parts well!
‘The Machinists / The Shop Floor Girls’ - Cass, Clare, Sandra and Beryl (Played by Dawn Wright, Katie Molyneux, Sarah Johnson and Pip Bradshaw respectively). All four were excellent individually and collectively, as a group, brilliant! They brought to life their different characters so well! The stand out performance for me was Beryl, (Pip Bradshaw) a real feisty character, who doesn’t give a dam what she says and to who she says it ... you really wouldn’t want to mess with this girl!
Another wonderful performance came from Julie Gould who played the part of ‘Connie’ the Union Steward. She was another that took us on a journey, culminating in major moment of sadness when she announces that she’s dying of cancer. ‘Monty’ (Union Steward) played by Jon Somerville, was in love with ‘Connie’ and was a great choice for this role. His scene with Rita in the hospital after Connie’s death was believable and very moving.
As previously stated, there were so many more quality performances: Lisa Hopkins as ‘Helana Whitley’ the unhappy wife of the Ford Plant Manager. Brian Tubb, the Ford Plant Manager ‘Hopkins’ and Lisa’s husband. Alan Harbottle as ‘Harold Wilson’ and Claire Heaton as ‘Barbara Castle’. Dru Fitzgerald who doubled up as ‘Tooley’ the Ford Executive from Texas / ‘Chubby Chuff’ and Brian Dargie who played a triple role as ‘Sid / Buckton and Hubble’.
Making up this wonderful cast were: Chris McNamara, P.J. Green, Blathine Maguire, Lucy Bradshaw, Grace Hodgson, Julie Molyneux, Claire Jones, Georgina Earle, Marion Hitchen and Maureen Kinsey. Each of whom should be proud and congratulated for what they helped achieve!
A minimalistic set that worked well, was manoeuvred around the stage with effortless ease by Tony Dagnall-Moss and his team who should be congratulated on their efforts. The ‘props’ used were appropriate as were the costumes which suited the era and enhanced the performance.
Sound and lighting are so important to any production and there’s no doubt that we always want more or something better! But, unless you know the capabilities of the desks, the equipment and the budget, then constructive criticism can sometimes be totally inappropriate (You can only work with what you have or what you can afford). But having said that, there were occasions when the sound wasn’t quite there and I wasn’t quite sure if this was due to the equipment or human error (‘mikes’ not switched on fast enough). This resulted in the start of some lines being missed and in Act 2, the males were singing a song against females ... the sound was different between the two sets of singers and I wasn’t sure if the females were ‘miked’ and males weren’t, but the sound quality and level between the two groups was just so different.
The lighting was good and used well, but there were a couple of occasions when ‘actors’ on the apron, in front of the house curtains, were stood in darkness delivering lines. This could have been actor error as opposed to a lighting problem! I hope these couple of comments haven’t caused offence, there purely observations / constructive criticism and did not detracted at all from the overall performance of this production; I just didn’t want to miss a word!
As previously stated this was an outstanding production and I must again congratulate the company for producing such an excellent and enjoyable piece of theatre. This was my first visit to Rainhill Village Hall and my first chance to see Rainhill Musical Theatre Company; I hope it isn’t my last. Thanks for invitation, hope to see you all again soon.
This was, by anyone’s standards, an outstanding piece of theatre! The production was well cast, well directed, musically brilliant, with some good choreography. Credit for this must go to John Garfield-Roberts (Director), Wayne Oakes (Musical Director) Lucy Bradshaw (Choreographer) Ruth Gibb (Producer) and the entire Production Team for a job well done!
Made in Dagenham is based on a true, heart warming story that began in June 1968 at the Ford Factory in Dagenham, Essex. It tells the story of six women and a 20-year battle to get their pay reviewed and re-graded to be in line with that of the male workers doing a similar skilled level of work. Things come to a head and the women have had enough and simply say ‘EVERYBODY OUT’. We follow the O’Grady family and their personal struggle to stay together against a backdrop of sexism, poverty and a class system, all of which are conspiring to ‘’grind them down’.
The production was excellent from ‘first note to last’. It moved seamlessly between humour and raw emotion with some superb musical interludes thrown in for good measure!
There were so many quality performances in this production that it really isn’t easy to pick out individuals without doing injustice to others, but, after saying that, I really do feel that the following cast members need to be highlighted for their amazing performance……
Holly Murphy’s portrayal of Rita O’Grady was outstanding. From the moment the curtains opened she just took us on a journey from wife, mother and shop floor worker to an unwilling leader of women, thrust into the limelight, whilst fighting the establishment and leading the battle for equal pay for women! Faultless acting, wonderful vocals, great comedic timing and a whirlpool of emotion, Holly just had it all! She was well supported by Paul Robinson who played Eddie O’Grady, her husband. Paul was the perfect foil for Holly and gave a great performance as the lovable husband who went from ‘bread winner’ to ‘support act’ as Holly’s fame grew and was then left trying to hold the family together. Their duet ‘Can’t Do It Anymore’ was so believable and so poignant! PS: let’s not forget the O’Grady kids ... Mathew Hummerston (Graham) and Maisie Riley (Sharon) really did play their parts well!
‘The Machinists / The Shop Floor Girls’ - Cass, Clare, Sandra and Beryl (Played by Dawn Wright, Katie Molyneux, Sarah Johnson and Pip Bradshaw respectively). All four were excellent individually and collectively, as a group, brilliant! They brought to life their different characters so well! The stand out performance for me was Beryl, (Pip Bradshaw) a real feisty character, who doesn’t give a dam what she says and to who she says it ... you really wouldn’t want to mess with this girl!
Another wonderful performance came from Julie Gould who played the part of ‘Connie’ the Union Steward. She was another that took us on a journey, culminating in major moment of sadness when she announces that she’s dying of cancer. ‘Monty’ (Union Steward) played by Jon Somerville, was in love with ‘Connie’ and was a great choice for this role. His scene with Rita in the hospital after Connie’s death was believable and very moving.
As previously stated, there were so many more quality performances: Lisa Hopkins as ‘Helana Whitley’ the unhappy wife of the Ford Plant Manager. Brian Tubb, the Ford Plant Manager ‘Hopkins’ and Lisa’s husband. Alan Harbottle as ‘Harold Wilson’ and Claire Heaton as ‘Barbara Castle’. Dru Fitzgerald who doubled up as ‘Tooley’ the Ford Executive from Texas / ‘Chubby Chuff’ and Brian Dargie who played a triple role as ‘Sid / Buckton and Hubble’.
Making up this wonderful cast were: Chris McNamara, P.J. Green, Blathine Maguire, Lucy Bradshaw, Grace Hodgson, Julie Molyneux, Claire Jones, Georgina Earle, Marion Hitchen and Maureen Kinsey. Each of whom should be proud and congratulated for what they helped achieve!
A minimalistic set that worked well, was manoeuvred around the stage with effortless ease by Tony Dagnall-Moss and his team who should be congratulated on their efforts. The ‘props’ used were appropriate as were the costumes which suited the era and enhanced the performance.
Sound and lighting are so important to any production and there’s no doubt that we always want more or something better! But, unless you know the capabilities of the desks, the equipment and the budget, then constructive criticism can sometimes be totally inappropriate (You can only work with what you have or what you can afford). But having said that, there were occasions when the sound wasn’t quite there and I wasn’t quite sure if this was due to the equipment or human error (‘mikes’ not switched on fast enough). This resulted in the start of some lines being missed and in Act 2, the males were singing a song against females ... the sound was different between the two sets of singers and I wasn’t sure if the females were ‘miked’ and males weren’t, but the sound quality and level between the two groups was just so different.
The lighting was good and used well, but there were a couple of occasions when ‘actors’ on the apron, in front of the house curtains, were stood in darkness delivering lines. This could have been actor error as opposed to a lighting problem! I hope these couple of comments haven’t caused offence, there purely observations / constructive criticism and did not detracted at all from the overall performance of this production; I just didn’t want to miss a word!
As previously stated this was an outstanding production and I must again congratulate the company for producing such an excellent and enjoyable piece of theatre. This was my first visit to Rainhill Village Hall and my first chance to see Rainhill Musical Theatre Company; I hope it isn’t my last. Thanks for invitation, hope to see you all again soon.
ALADDIN - MARK DAVOREN - 11/01/2018
‘A wish is a powerful thing…’ it says on the programme cover but let me tell you, you couldn’t wish to be more entertained than with Rainhill Musical Theatre Company’s production of Aladdin – talk about starting the New Year with a bang!
Under the direction of Bryan Dargie, our trip to New Peking begins with baddy Abanazar (Julie Molyneux) and sidekick Shabti (Lucy Bradshaw) appearing from the audience in scary mode with suitably Scouse Slave Of The Ring (Pip Bradshaw) setting out the plot before the cast performance of ‘Wake Up Boo’ gets the audience rocking.
Constable Nee (Ruth Gibb) and Sergeant Naw (Zoe Lawrence) are next on the scene looking for a flower thief and their rendition of ‘Brave’ firmly pulls the audience further into the production, and heralds the arrival of Aladdin (David Stevens) and sister Wishee Washee (Bláthíne Maguire) with their rendition of ‘Call Me Firework’ before adoptive mother Widow Twankey (Alan Harbottle) arrives to ‘I Got The Music In Me’.
But this is a love story and Aladdin’s heart and hopes are set on Princess Blossom (Claire Jones) although with her father, Emperor Xiaoli (Liam Fitzgerald), set on following tradition, whilst Blossom’s ‘A Thousand Years’ allows for some clever scene changes, what’s a boy to do but be led astray and to the accompaniment of ‘Castle’, Aladdin enters the cave and the audience the interval.
The Spirits of the Cave, led by Sally Adamson, launch us back into things with ‘Reach’ and Aladdin’s discovery of the lamp introduces us to a Scouse Slave Of The Lamp (Claire Heaton) and Jeannie the Genie (Grace Hodgson) who challenges our hero’s desires with ‘Born This Way’. It’s only a matter of time before we’re back in New Peking – you just can’t ‘Shake It Off’ as Wishee Washee sings - and our love match acknowledge ‘C’est La Vie’. When baddies are present however, you never know what is going to happen next – can Shabti turn a corner with ‘You Don’t Own Me’ or are our couple destined never to be?
The choice of songs was perfect and performed superbly by a live band under the musical direction of Wayne Oakes (Keyboard) supported by Kev Bates (Bass), Mike Ciaputa (Guitar), and Theo Fowler (Drums). The choreographed routines, prepared by various cast members, were brilliant.
The set design utilising Chinese red dragons and symbols with bamboo screening around the band were exquisite and allowed clever use of the stage and surrounding space so much credit to the stage management team of Les Dagnall, Tony Dagnall-Moss, and Karen Woods, with Keith Marsh leading the FoH team.
Molyneux’s Abanazra was a panto-perfect villain and Harbottle was a panto-perfect dame. Gibb’s Constable Nee was hilarious throughout, and it was great to see the talented Jones performing again. Tonight, though belonged to Maguire whose array of talent was well and truly on show: whether singing, dancing, or comic acting, she most definitely put the bang into the firework.
We were left ‘Dancing On The Ceiling’ as well as the floor by the end as the cast sang us out with ‘Never Forget’ and when they’re truly having so much fun it really is infectious: this is one of the best shows I have seen in a long time and I can assure you, adult or child, you will love it.
Under the direction of Bryan Dargie, our trip to New Peking begins with baddy Abanazar (Julie Molyneux) and sidekick Shabti (Lucy Bradshaw) appearing from the audience in scary mode with suitably Scouse Slave Of The Ring (Pip Bradshaw) setting out the plot before the cast performance of ‘Wake Up Boo’ gets the audience rocking.
Constable Nee (Ruth Gibb) and Sergeant Naw (Zoe Lawrence) are next on the scene looking for a flower thief and their rendition of ‘Brave’ firmly pulls the audience further into the production, and heralds the arrival of Aladdin (David Stevens) and sister Wishee Washee (Bláthíne Maguire) with their rendition of ‘Call Me Firework’ before adoptive mother Widow Twankey (Alan Harbottle) arrives to ‘I Got The Music In Me’.
But this is a love story and Aladdin’s heart and hopes are set on Princess Blossom (Claire Jones) although with her father, Emperor Xiaoli (Liam Fitzgerald), set on following tradition, whilst Blossom’s ‘A Thousand Years’ allows for some clever scene changes, what’s a boy to do but be led astray and to the accompaniment of ‘Castle’, Aladdin enters the cave and the audience the interval.
The Spirits of the Cave, led by Sally Adamson, launch us back into things with ‘Reach’ and Aladdin’s discovery of the lamp introduces us to a Scouse Slave Of The Lamp (Claire Heaton) and Jeannie the Genie (Grace Hodgson) who challenges our hero’s desires with ‘Born This Way’. It’s only a matter of time before we’re back in New Peking – you just can’t ‘Shake It Off’ as Wishee Washee sings - and our love match acknowledge ‘C’est La Vie’. When baddies are present however, you never know what is going to happen next – can Shabti turn a corner with ‘You Don’t Own Me’ or are our couple destined never to be?
The choice of songs was perfect and performed superbly by a live band under the musical direction of Wayne Oakes (Keyboard) supported by Kev Bates (Bass), Mike Ciaputa (Guitar), and Theo Fowler (Drums). The choreographed routines, prepared by various cast members, were brilliant.
The set design utilising Chinese red dragons and symbols with bamboo screening around the band were exquisite and allowed clever use of the stage and surrounding space so much credit to the stage management team of Les Dagnall, Tony Dagnall-Moss, and Karen Woods, with Keith Marsh leading the FoH team.
Molyneux’s Abanazra was a panto-perfect villain and Harbottle was a panto-perfect dame. Gibb’s Constable Nee was hilarious throughout, and it was great to see the talented Jones performing again. Tonight, though belonged to Maguire whose array of talent was well and truly on show: whether singing, dancing, or comic acting, she most definitely put the bang into the firework.
We were left ‘Dancing On The Ceiling’ as well as the floor by the end as the cast sang us out with ‘Never Forget’ and when they’re truly having so much fun it really is infectious: this is one of the best shows I have seen in a long time and I can assure you, adult or child, you will love it.
BEAUTY AND THE BEASTY BOY - MARK DAVOREN - 18/11/2017
With a woodland backdrop and to the sound of the Big Fish Theme, our Narrator (Amy Balfour) danced her way through the audience to the stage, in the first of her many routines of the evening, as we learnt how the cruel Prince Adam had been punished many years earlier so he would learn that true beauty comes from within, before a whole cast rendition of ‘Uptown Funk’ led by Belle (Katie Reeves) got the audience well and truly tapping. Bully boy Gaston (Mikey Rowan) arrives on the scene with the intention of securing Belle’s hand by fair means or foul and with his trusty sidekick Lefou (Lilljana Spencer) in tow, they launched in to a truly good rendition of ‘Bad’ with Balfour leading the dance routine of the supporting chorus (Millie Riley; Jessica McDevitt; Grace Spencer-Storey; Isabella Parsonage-Howard; Olivia Parsonage-Howard; Holly Spencer-Storey).
We meet Belle and her Papa (Patrick Reeves) who is planning to make his fortune with his latest invention, but after getting lost he arrives at a strange castle where he is imprisoned. Learning of his disappearance, Belle sets off to rescue him and on arrival meets the Beast (Rihanna McEwan) and his magical and mysterious assistants: the ever-French Lumière (Joseph McDevitt); the clockwork Cogsworth (Daniel Hitchen) and the teapot Mrs Potts (Paige Quilliam), as we launch into the Lumière-led ‘Fireball’ with the audience picking up the beat and clapping along almost instantly. I must note these three played off each other perfectly all evening to great effect.
Belle offers to take her father’s place with her beautifully sung ‘When I See You Again’ whilst Lumière, Cogsworth and Mrs Potts are entrusted to mind her before the whole cast launched into ‘Best Song Ever’ with some superb choreography as the Beast begins to learn the importance of being himself. Not learning any such lesson however are Gaston and Lefou who, with one of their many superb comic routines, have kidnapped Papa and, accompanied again by some great choreography, launch into ‘Rotten to the Core’ - as if there was any doubt.
Cogsworth, Lumière and Mrs Potts launch the second half with ‘When We’re Human’ before an interlude for a very funny and interactive take on ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ leads us into Quilliams’s Mrs Potts’ beautifully sung lament to be ‘Part Of This World’. Belle and the Beast’s emotions come to the fore in ‘Secret Love Song’ until Belle discovers her father’s imprisonment and goes off to find him. The Beast’s ‘More Than Words’ with an accompanying solo routine by Balfour’s solo routine lets us know he’s smitten before he sets off to find her with Lumière, Cogsworth and Mrs Potts, with her son Chip (Maisie Riley), in tow. Belle soon catches up with Gaston and Lefou as they are revealed for who they are in ‘Gaston’s Song’. Belle rejects Gaston’s pleas in ‘You Don’t Own Me’ before he and the Beast fight and fall and…
Belle is distraught: has the man she has come to love survived? Will he be the same? Our returned Narrator’s ‘Black Magic’ suggests there is more to this than meets the eye before our Beauty and Beast are reunited with ‘I Thought I Lost You’. McEwan’s rousing ‘Dig A Little Deeper’ stirred the audience up one final time before the concluding echoes of ‘Fight For Your Right To Party’ mixed with well-deserved applause.
There were a couple of technical glitches which is to be expected on an opening night but the professionalism of this talented young cast in response was beyond words: their great acting, dancing, singing and comic delivery throughout made for a cracking evening for which they are to be truly commended – the future is bright, the future is RMTC Youth. Much credit also to Producer and Director Samantha Moores and Choreographer Nicola Lyon, as well as the many members of RMTC who supported throughout the evening as well providing some wonderful costumes and sets.
We meet Belle and her Papa (Patrick Reeves) who is planning to make his fortune with his latest invention, but after getting lost he arrives at a strange castle where he is imprisoned. Learning of his disappearance, Belle sets off to rescue him and on arrival meets the Beast (Rihanna McEwan) and his magical and mysterious assistants: the ever-French Lumière (Joseph McDevitt); the clockwork Cogsworth (Daniel Hitchen) and the teapot Mrs Potts (Paige Quilliam), as we launch into the Lumière-led ‘Fireball’ with the audience picking up the beat and clapping along almost instantly. I must note these three played off each other perfectly all evening to great effect.
Belle offers to take her father’s place with her beautifully sung ‘When I See You Again’ whilst Lumière, Cogsworth and Mrs Potts are entrusted to mind her before the whole cast launched into ‘Best Song Ever’ with some superb choreography as the Beast begins to learn the importance of being himself. Not learning any such lesson however are Gaston and Lefou who, with one of their many superb comic routines, have kidnapped Papa and, accompanied again by some great choreography, launch into ‘Rotten to the Core’ - as if there was any doubt.
Cogsworth, Lumière and Mrs Potts launch the second half with ‘When We’re Human’ before an interlude for a very funny and interactive take on ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ leads us into Quilliams’s Mrs Potts’ beautifully sung lament to be ‘Part Of This World’. Belle and the Beast’s emotions come to the fore in ‘Secret Love Song’ until Belle discovers her father’s imprisonment and goes off to find him. The Beast’s ‘More Than Words’ with an accompanying solo routine by Balfour’s solo routine lets us know he’s smitten before he sets off to find her with Lumière, Cogsworth and Mrs Potts, with her son Chip (Maisie Riley), in tow. Belle soon catches up with Gaston and Lefou as they are revealed for who they are in ‘Gaston’s Song’. Belle rejects Gaston’s pleas in ‘You Don’t Own Me’ before he and the Beast fight and fall and…
Belle is distraught: has the man she has come to love survived? Will he be the same? Our returned Narrator’s ‘Black Magic’ suggests there is more to this than meets the eye before our Beauty and Beast are reunited with ‘I Thought I Lost You’. McEwan’s rousing ‘Dig A Little Deeper’ stirred the audience up one final time before the concluding echoes of ‘Fight For Your Right To Party’ mixed with well-deserved applause.
There were a couple of technical glitches which is to be expected on an opening night but the professionalism of this talented young cast in response was beyond words: their great acting, dancing, singing and comic delivery throughout made for a cracking evening for which they are to be truly commended – the future is bright, the future is RMTC Youth. Much credit also to Producer and Director Samantha Moores and Choreographer Nicola Lyon, as well as the many members of RMTC who supported throughout the evening as well providing some wonderful costumes and sets.
BOOGIE NIGHTS - PATRICIA CONNOR (NODA) - 16/06/2017
Directed By Pip Bradshaw
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreographed by Lucy Bradshaw
Rainhill Musical Theatre’s latest very entertaining production was “Boogie Nights” written by Jon Conway, it is a Jukebox musical set in a Disco Club of the same name and the story is set around a number of famous hit songs from well-known artists of the 1970s, which included Hot Chocolate, Donna Summer, Rod Stewart, Earth Wind & Fire and the Village People.We are taken back to the time of platform shoes, flower power, flared trousers, multi-coloured blouses and the Ford Cortina.
This energetic production from Rainhill Musical Theatre Company was directed by Pip Bradshaw. The cast worked hard and the show was full of energy moving from one well-known song to another smoothly. They also worked hard performing the very upbeat good choreography by Lucy Bradshaw excellently. The story follows the antics of cocky Roddy O’Neil, very well played by Christopher Fox, who had a good rapport with the audience. Roddy is an out-of-work dreamer whose ambition is to become a rock 'n' roll singer. He has had the same girlfriend for the past five years since they were at school together called Debs, played very nicely by Blathine Maguire, but Roddy two-times Debs and we look at their relationship and the consequences of his actions, both Christopher and Blathine made a good strong central couple. Their best friends are Terry and Trish who were played by Paul-James Green and Dawn Louise Wright, both had good comic timing and produced two very likable comedic characters. Other important entertaining performances came from K Lopez who produced a good characterization as Spencer the lead singer with the club’s resident band and Sarah Johnson sang very well as the sassy singer Lorraine, Spencer’s long suffering girlfriend who cheats on him with Roddy. There was also a really enjoyable performance from Alan Harbottle as Roddy’s Elvis loving father Eamon, who managed to portray excellently the sometimes funny, and caring yet volatile relationship he had with Roddy and Dru Grindley-Fitzgerald gave a nice performance as the understanding Dean, Roddy’s friend and DJ at the club, who has a daytime job with a career and he is secretly in love with Debs. Diction and clarity of words was generally good so the story could be followed easily, although there was a problem with some of the cast’s microphones on a few occasions. The chorus and smaller roles supported the principle cast very well with lots of energy, loads of enthusiasm and appeared to be enjoying themselves very much. The band led by musical director Wayne Oakes played on stage and were an integral part of the action as the resident night club band “The Love Machine” playing excellently and supporting the cast very well.
There was excellent use of the stage area with basically one main static set for the club scene on the main area of the stage and Eamon’s house to the side, other scenes were set by the use of large props such as furniture along with lighting and a front cloth was used for the outside the club which enabled smooth transition between scenes, so well done to the efficient stage and technical crew, including props. Costumes were spot on for the era and very colourful enhancing the production, we enjoyed reminiscing about platform shoes and trying to see who was wearing the largest flairs.
Congratulations must go the Pip Bradshaw and to everyone involved in this full of fun, enjoyable production. Thank you for inviting us we had a lovely evening and hope to see you for your next production.
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreographed by Lucy Bradshaw
Rainhill Musical Theatre’s latest very entertaining production was “Boogie Nights” written by Jon Conway, it is a Jukebox musical set in a Disco Club of the same name and the story is set around a number of famous hit songs from well-known artists of the 1970s, which included Hot Chocolate, Donna Summer, Rod Stewart, Earth Wind & Fire and the Village People.We are taken back to the time of platform shoes, flower power, flared trousers, multi-coloured blouses and the Ford Cortina.
This energetic production from Rainhill Musical Theatre Company was directed by Pip Bradshaw. The cast worked hard and the show was full of energy moving from one well-known song to another smoothly. They also worked hard performing the very upbeat good choreography by Lucy Bradshaw excellently. The story follows the antics of cocky Roddy O’Neil, very well played by Christopher Fox, who had a good rapport with the audience. Roddy is an out-of-work dreamer whose ambition is to become a rock 'n' roll singer. He has had the same girlfriend for the past five years since they were at school together called Debs, played very nicely by Blathine Maguire, but Roddy two-times Debs and we look at their relationship and the consequences of his actions, both Christopher and Blathine made a good strong central couple. Their best friends are Terry and Trish who were played by Paul-James Green and Dawn Louise Wright, both had good comic timing and produced two very likable comedic characters. Other important entertaining performances came from K Lopez who produced a good characterization as Spencer the lead singer with the club’s resident band and Sarah Johnson sang very well as the sassy singer Lorraine, Spencer’s long suffering girlfriend who cheats on him with Roddy. There was also a really enjoyable performance from Alan Harbottle as Roddy’s Elvis loving father Eamon, who managed to portray excellently the sometimes funny, and caring yet volatile relationship he had with Roddy and Dru Grindley-Fitzgerald gave a nice performance as the understanding Dean, Roddy’s friend and DJ at the club, who has a daytime job with a career and he is secretly in love with Debs. Diction and clarity of words was generally good so the story could be followed easily, although there was a problem with some of the cast’s microphones on a few occasions. The chorus and smaller roles supported the principle cast very well with lots of energy, loads of enthusiasm and appeared to be enjoying themselves very much. The band led by musical director Wayne Oakes played on stage and were an integral part of the action as the resident night club band “The Love Machine” playing excellently and supporting the cast very well.
There was excellent use of the stage area with basically one main static set for the club scene on the main area of the stage and Eamon’s house to the side, other scenes were set by the use of large props such as furniture along with lighting and a front cloth was used for the outside the club which enabled smooth transition between scenes, so well done to the efficient stage and technical crew, including props. Costumes were spot on for the era and very colourful enhancing the production, we enjoyed reminiscing about platform shoes and trying to see who was wearing the largest flairs.
Congratulations must go the Pip Bradshaw and to everyone involved in this full of fun, enjoyable production. Thank you for inviting us we had a lovely evening and hope to see you for your next production.
BOOGIE NIGHTS - MARK DAVOREN - 15/06/2017
Stand up each and every one of Rainhill Musical Theatre Company and take a well-deserved bow, I can think of no better way to kick off the summer than with this sizzling story stuffed full of seventies sounds, and there was no better way to start the show than with our two bouncers, Baz (Paul Robinson) and Goz (Liam Grindley-Fitzgerald), getting us, and themselves, in a lather to Rose Royce’s Car Wash.
This isn’t a show you come to watch, it’s a show you come to dance to and a Celebration with the whole company including a live on-stage band got everyone going before Roddy (Christopher Fox) recounted the story of August 1977: he’s been with girlfriend Debs (Bláthíne Maguire) for five years, as has their best friends Terry (Paul-James Green) and Trish (Dawn Louise Wright), but he still has an eye for old flame Mandy (Sally Adamson) amongst others. Whilst he dreams of becoming a rock star, Debs confides to Trish that she is pregnant with his baby. Roddy’s father, Eamon (Alan Harbottle), a big Elvis fan, wants to see Roddy settle down, but club DJ Dean (Dru Grindley-Fitzgerald) has different ideas.
Roddy meets with Lorraine (Sarah Johnson), singer in the disco band, and her boyfriend, bandleader Spencer (K. Lopez), who are having a row. One thing leads to another and, well, you can guess the rest. Or can you? There’s a few twists and turns on the way, no surprise given the array of wonderful music on offer from Musical Director Wayne Oakes and his band (Mike Ciaputa; Kev Bates; Jonny Gleave), backing singers (Samantha Moores; Julie Molyneux; Michelle Williams), and accompanying dancers (Pamela Dick; Katie Molyneux; Jeanna Roberts) led by Dance Captain Grace Hodgson.
The lead cast perform superbly throughout, and with the support of a wonderful ensemble (Bet Davies; Marjorie Davies; Georgina Earle; Ruth Gibb; Claire Heaton; Marion Hitchen; Maureen Kinsey; Barbara Marsh; Charlotte Orme) we are treated to a good-humored show filled with great disco classics and period-perfect costumes. What really took my breath away was the wonderful choreography by Lucy Bradshaw who brought together all the different strands seamlessly to punch out top class performances, particularly on the full-cast medleys. With a talent that belies her young years, she is one to watch out for.
I’m thrilled for producer and director Pip Bradshaw who confided in me during the interval that she had gone through every anxiety and some in the lead up to this production, her directorial first. Based on tonight’s performance, she has every reason to sit back and soak in all the well-deserved compliments coming her way.
Bradshaw and RMTC Chair Gibb had told me recently they were on the lookout for men and certainly newbies Fox and Lopez did them proud alongside stalwarts Green, Grindley-Fitzgerald, and Harbottle. Maguire stepped up comfortably to a lead role with Johnson at her sassy-best knocking out great tunes for fun whilst Wright’s natural humour and obvious talent were evident throughout, as was Adamson’s although I wish she’d been given a solo as she can certainly knock out a tune.
Let us not forget either the sterling work behind the scenes from Les Dagnall, Joe Massey, Keith Marsh, Tony Dagnall-Moss, Karen Woods, and Phil Kinsey amongst others, which guaranteed a wonderful evening’s entertainment that had this eclectic audience on its dancing feet at the end.
This isn’t a show you come to watch, it’s a show you come to dance to and a Celebration with the whole company including a live on-stage band got everyone going before Roddy (Christopher Fox) recounted the story of August 1977: he’s been with girlfriend Debs (Bláthíne Maguire) for five years, as has their best friends Terry (Paul-James Green) and Trish (Dawn Louise Wright), but he still has an eye for old flame Mandy (Sally Adamson) amongst others. Whilst he dreams of becoming a rock star, Debs confides to Trish that she is pregnant with his baby. Roddy’s father, Eamon (Alan Harbottle), a big Elvis fan, wants to see Roddy settle down, but club DJ Dean (Dru Grindley-Fitzgerald) has different ideas.
Roddy meets with Lorraine (Sarah Johnson), singer in the disco band, and her boyfriend, bandleader Spencer (K. Lopez), who are having a row. One thing leads to another and, well, you can guess the rest. Or can you? There’s a few twists and turns on the way, no surprise given the array of wonderful music on offer from Musical Director Wayne Oakes and his band (Mike Ciaputa; Kev Bates; Jonny Gleave), backing singers (Samantha Moores; Julie Molyneux; Michelle Williams), and accompanying dancers (Pamela Dick; Katie Molyneux; Jeanna Roberts) led by Dance Captain Grace Hodgson.
The lead cast perform superbly throughout, and with the support of a wonderful ensemble (Bet Davies; Marjorie Davies; Georgina Earle; Ruth Gibb; Claire Heaton; Marion Hitchen; Maureen Kinsey; Barbara Marsh; Charlotte Orme) we are treated to a good-humored show filled with great disco classics and period-perfect costumes. What really took my breath away was the wonderful choreography by Lucy Bradshaw who brought together all the different strands seamlessly to punch out top class performances, particularly on the full-cast medleys. With a talent that belies her young years, she is one to watch out for.
I’m thrilled for producer and director Pip Bradshaw who confided in me during the interval that she had gone through every anxiety and some in the lead up to this production, her directorial first. Based on tonight’s performance, she has every reason to sit back and soak in all the well-deserved compliments coming her way.
Bradshaw and RMTC Chair Gibb had told me recently they were on the lookout for men and certainly newbies Fox and Lopez did them proud alongside stalwarts Green, Grindley-Fitzgerald, and Harbottle. Maguire stepped up comfortably to a lead role with Johnson at her sassy-best knocking out great tunes for fun whilst Wright’s natural humour and obvious talent were evident throughout, as was Adamson’s although I wish she’d been given a solo as she can certainly knock out a tune.
Let us not forget either the sterling work behind the scenes from Les Dagnall, Joe Massey, Keith Marsh, Tony Dagnall-Moss, Karen Woods, and Phil Kinsey amongst others, which guaranteed a wonderful evening’s entertainment that had this eclectic audience on its dancing feet at the end.
REAL TO REEL - Mark Davoren - 10/06/2016
A Knockout Evening of Musical Entertainment. Wow.
I don’t know where to start with this review and I certainly didn’t want the show to end.
Let’s start with the talented Cast & Chorus that made this musical revue of almost fifty numbers from nearly as many shows such a resounding success:
Sally Adamson; Pip Bradshaw; Bet Davies; Margorie Davies; Audrey Francis; Ruth Gibb; Dru Grindley-Fitzgerald; Alan Harbottle; Claire Heaton; Marian Hitchen; Grace Hodgson; Sarah Johnson; Claire Jones; Maureen Kinsey; Nicola Lyons; Bláthíne Maguire; Barbara Marsh; Samantha Moores; Jeanna Roberts; David Stevens; Sam Troke; Dawn Louise Wright.
My hat goes off to one and all.
Tonight’s production presented a wonderful snapshot of musical theatre from its earliest days right up to the modern day as we traversed the full range of emotions from love to sadness, with healthy doses of humour thrown in, and each piece supported by some delightful choreography (Moores; Lyons; Jones) which in combination with the acting and singing presented a visual treat for the ear and eye. The clever use of a backdrop screen by producer Michelle Williams identified each musical and song and later movingly served as a tribute to the many pillars of entertainment lost during 2016 to the fitting accompaniment of Send In The Clowns.
It would have been easy for RMTC to fall back on the numbers from their recent shows but they resisted that temptation as they did the safety net of only playing the well-known songs. Instead they offered a diverse range which ensured there would be something for everyone as well as taking us out of our comfort zone with some new experiences, each accompanied with personalised routines – a true extravaganza.
The second half medley from Cell Block Tango (Chicago) through to Queen of the Night (Bodyguard) allowed nine of the female cast to really give it their all and trust me, they do not disappoint. But before and after this there was a complete riot of unadulterated entertainment that had the audience oohing and aahing as well as clapping and tapping at every opportunity. Everyone excelled, which having seen many perform previously did not surprise, but I am thrilled to have now ‘discovered’ Hodgson, Maguire and Wright along with Harbottle and Troke. Even though I know how good her voice is, Adamson still knocks me for six every time. Grindley-Fitzgerald and Stevens do not disappoint. Johnson, Jones and Moores delight.
No show can be complete without a wonderful set (Les Dagnall; Tony Dagnall-Moss; Karen Woods) or the support from musical director Wayne Oakes and his team of Theo Fowler (drums); Mike Ciaputa (guitar); Dave Semans (bass guitar); and sound engineer Joe Massey.
Rainhill Musical Theatre Company was originally founded as Rainhill Amateur Operatic Society in 1951 and is affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA). Their youth section will be performing ‘Now That’s What I Call A Century’ in April and the adult section will be performing ‘Boogie Nights’ in June. They are always looking for new members, so whether you want to tread the boards or just help backstage then get in touch – who knows where it might take you but you’ll certainly have fun with this very friendly and welcoming group.
I don’t know where to start with this review and I certainly didn’t want the show to end.
Let’s start with the talented Cast & Chorus that made this musical revue of almost fifty numbers from nearly as many shows such a resounding success:
Sally Adamson; Pip Bradshaw; Bet Davies; Margorie Davies; Audrey Francis; Ruth Gibb; Dru Grindley-Fitzgerald; Alan Harbottle; Claire Heaton; Marian Hitchen; Grace Hodgson; Sarah Johnson; Claire Jones; Maureen Kinsey; Nicola Lyons; Bláthíne Maguire; Barbara Marsh; Samantha Moores; Jeanna Roberts; David Stevens; Sam Troke; Dawn Louise Wright.
My hat goes off to one and all.
Tonight’s production presented a wonderful snapshot of musical theatre from its earliest days right up to the modern day as we traversed the full range of emotions from love to sadness, with healthy doses of humour thrown in, and each piece supported by some delightful choreography (Moores; Lyons; Jones) which in combination with the acting and singing presented a visual treat for the ear and eye. The clever use of a backdrop screen by producer Michelle Williams identified each musical and song and later movingly served as a tribute to the many pillars of entertainment lost during 2016 to the fitting accompaniment of Send In The Clowns.
It would have been easy for RMTC to fall back on the numbers from their recent shows but they resisted that temptation as they did the safety net of only playing the well-known songs. Instead they offered a diverse range which ensured there would be something for everyone as well as taking us out of our comfort zone with some new experiences, each accompanied with personalised routines – a true extravaganza.
The second half medley from Cell Block Tango (Chicago) through to Queen of the Night (Bodyguard) allowed nine of the female cast to really give it their all and trust me, they do not disappoint. But before and after this there was a complete riot of unadulterated entertainment that had the audience oohing and aahing as well as clapping and tapping at every opportunity. Everyone excelled, which having seen many perform previously did not surprise, but I am thrilled to have now ‘discovered’ Hodgson, Maguire and Wright along with Harbottle and Troke. Even though I know how good her voice is, Adamson still knocks me for six every time. Grindley-Fitzgerald and Stevens do not disappoint. Johnson, Jones and Moores delight.
No show can be complete without a wonderful set (Les Dagnall; Tony Dagnall-Moss; Karen Woods) or the support from musical director Wayne Oakes and his team of Theo Fowler (drums); Mike Ciaputa (guitar); Dave Semans (bass guitar); and sound engineer Joe Massey.
Rainhill Musical Theatre Company was originally founded as Rainhill Amateur Operatic Society in 1951 and is affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA). Their youth section will be performing ‘Now That’s What I Call A Century’ in April and the adult section will be performing ‘Boogie Nights’ in June. They are always looking for new members, so whether you want to tread the boards or just help backstage then get in touch – who knows where it might take you but you’ll certainly have fun with this very friendly and welcoming group.
9 to 5 The Musical - NODA review by Patricia Connor (District 6) - 10/06/2016
Directed by Pamela Foy
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreography from Sam Moores and Claire Jones
With lyrics and music written by Dolly Parton from a book by Patricia Resnick, based on the screenplay by Resnick and Colin Higgins, “9 to 5” is a challenging fast paced musical based on the 1980 movie of the same name. The show is a mix of feminist indignation, raucous good humour and some genuinely touching moments, it also has an eclectic mix of great musical numbers and this production from Rainhill Musical Theatre Company had everything required for a successful show. Well done must go to the Director Pamela Foy, Set Designer Les Dagnall, the Set Builders and all the Stage Crew who managed to develop a plan for staging this production within the limits of the venue and along with technical input (which included the voice of Dolly Parton) produced an excellent platform and environment for the cast to work on. The cast included three very talented ladies in the principle roles of three female co-workers driven into devising a plan to get even with their sexist, lying, bigot of a boss Franklin J Hart who finally receives his comeuppance, with very funny consequences, they were Pip Bradshaw as the passed over for promotion Violet Newstead, Sarah Johnson as Executive Assistant and sexually harassed Doralee Rhodes and Michelle Williams as the recently divorced, new employee Judy Bernly. All three produced very good characterisations, worked very well together and gave good strong performances which is a necessity for the success of this show. Brian Tubbs as their boss Franklin J Hart was suitably sleazy and chauvinistic also producing a strong performance, and Sally Adamson as Roz Keith, Hart’s Personal Assistant and office mole who also nurtures a secret passion for Hart, produced a great comedic characterisation performing the song “Heart to Heart” very well. Dru Fitzgerald-Grindley as Joe, was convincing as Violets love interest he also has a very nice singing voice. Other enjoyable performances were from Ruth Gibb as Margaret the office drunk who had some lovely comic moments, Sam Troke as Dwayne Doralee’s husband and Paul-James Green as Josh, Violets son. The actors in smaller supporting roles performed well producing some amusing characters and the ensemble also appeared to be enjoying themselves performing with lots of energy and enthusiasm and supporting the principle cast very well. By the end of the show the three women have given their workplace a makeover which goes. down very well with the chairman of the company Tinsworthy (a nice little cameo performance from Keith Marsh), and they are offered control of the company.
Just some constructive points I am not sure if there was a problem with the microphones as the sound appeared to diminish at the front of the auditorium during the musical numbers although I was told it was louder at the back and one microphone appeared to stop working for some time, also personally I wasn’t sure if the extra people were needed onstage during two of the big solo numbers as I felt it was a little distracting from the soloist excellent renditions of the songs. However well done to the cast members as their diction, projection and clarity of dialogue was very good even without a microphone enabling the audience to follow the story which is very important in any production but, especially in a relatively new musical where the story is not as well known. American accents were spot on and maintained throughout as were the characterizations, as no one appeared to drop out of character
The Orchestra led by Musical Director Wayne Oakes played this very upbeat music excellently supporting the cast very well. Choreography by Sam Moores and Claire Jones appeared just enough and right for this type of production, and costumes were also just right for the characters and the era and along with the music and the choreography added to the success of the show.
Congratulations to Director Pamela Foy and to everyone involved in this production for an excellent energetic show. Thank you for inviting us we had a lovely evening.
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreography from Sam Moores and Claire Jones
With lyrics and music written by Dolly Parton from a book by Patricia Resnick, based on the screenplay by Resnick and Colin Higgins, “9 to 5” is a challenging fast paced musical based on the 1980 movie of the same name. The show is a mix of feminist indignation, raucous good humour and some genuinely touching moments, it also has an eclectic mix of great musical numbers and this production from Rainhill Musical Theatre Company had everything required for a successful show. Well done must go to the Director Pamela Foy, Set Designer Les Dagnall, the Set Builders and all the Stage Crew who managed to develop a plan for staging this production within the limits of the venue and along with technical input (which included the voice of Dolly Parton) produced an excellent platform and environment for the cast to work on. The cast included three very talented ladies in the principle roles of three female co-workers driven into devising a plan to get even with their sexist, lying, bigot of a boss Franklin J Hart who finally receives his comeuppance, with very funny consequences, they were Pip Bradshaw as the passed over for promotion Violet Newstead, Sarah Johnson as Executive Assistant and sexually harassed Doralee Rhodes and Michelle Williams as the recently divorced, new employee Judy Bernly. All three produced very good characterisations, worked very well together and gave good strong performances which is a necessity for the success of this show. Brian Tubbs as their boss Franklin J Hart was suitably sleazy and chauvinistic also producing a strong performance, and Sally Adamson as Roz Keith, Hart’s Personal Assistant and office mole who also nurtures a secret passion for Hart, produced a great comedic characterisation performing the song “Heart to Heart” very well. Dru Fitzgerald-Grindley as Joe, was convincing as Violets love interest he also has a very nice singing voice. Other enjoyable performances were from Ruth Gibb as Margaret the office drunk who had some lovely comic moments, Sam Troke as Dwayne Doralee’s husband and Paul-James Green as Josh, Violets son. The actors in smaller supporting roles performed well producing some amusing characters and the ensemble also appeared to be enjoying themselves performing with lots of energy and enthusiasm and supporting the principle cast very well. By the end of the show the three women have given their workplace a makeover which goes. down very well with the chairman of the company Tinsworthy (a nice little cameo performance from Keith Marsh), and they are offered control of the company.
Just some constructive points I am not sure if there was a problem with the microphones as the sound appeared to diminish at the front of the auditorium during the musical numbers although I was told it was louder at the back and one microphone appeared to stop working for some time, also personally I wasn’t sure if the extra people were needed onstage during two of the big solo numbers as I felt it was a little distracting from the soloist excellent renditions of the songs. However well done to the cast members as their diction, projection and clarity of dialogue was very good even without a microphone enabling the audience to follow the story which is very important in any production but, especially in a relatively new musical where the story is not as well known. American accents were spot on and maintained throughout as were the characterizations, as no one appeared to drop out of character
The Orchestra led by Musical Director Wayne Oakes played this very upbeat music excellently supporting the cast very well. Choreography by Sam Moores and Claire Jones appeared just enough and right for this type of production, and costumes were also just right for the characters and the era and along with the music and the choreography added to the success of the show.
Congratulations to Director Pamela Foy and to everyone involved in this production for an excellent energetic show. Thank you for inviting us we had a lovely evening.
9 to 5 The Musical! - Mark Davoren - 10/06/2016
A Perfect Evening's Entertainment of Singing, Dancing, Music and Comedy
Before I start this review let me set out the challenge that Rainhill Musical Theatre Company did NOT know they were facing tonight at Rainhill Village Hall: I had just returned from New York and reviewing a 5-star Tony Award winning Broadway musical. But boy did they rise to this unknown task and some in one of the most engaging performances I have seen this year.
9 to 5 The Musical, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, is based on the hit movie, set in 1979 in a world where apples and blackberries are merely fruit that come off trees and the office was ruled by men, memoranda and monotony. It centres on three female office workers - Violet (Pip Bradshaw), Doralee (Sarah Johnson) and Judy (Michelle Williams) - who turn the tables on their sexist, lecherous, lying, bigot of a boss, the ultra-assured Franklin Hart Jr. (Brian Tubbs) in a somewhat 'unusual' manner with plenty of humour, some romance and food for thought thrown in along the way.
Our three central characters are all very different with their own particular quirks which allows us to see right into their dreams and desires, worries and concerns, but that does not stop them coming together in solidarity to oversee some long overdue changes in their workplace. For those of you born after 1980 there will be some real surprises in how things used to be.
Bradshaw, Johnson and Williams all have fantastic voices and delivered in solo and in trio superbly throughout as well as being perfectly in character with Bradshaw and Williams speaking in believable New York accents. Johnson was brave enough to resist both the pressure and perhaps urge to emulate Dolly Parton's country girl and in doing so made the role very much her own which was great to see and it worked all the better for it. They regularly demonstrated their comedic skill and timing and their wonderful but separate performances of 'The Dance of Death', 'Cowgirl's Revenge' and 'Potion Notion' was most memorable as, with a little 'hallucination', they imagined how to get rid of the boss.
So we know Franklin Hart Jr. is in for a hard time but Tubbs took it all on the chin perfectly as he captured this egotistical hypocrite to a tee singing out 'Here For You' whilst leering over his desk at the ever delectable Doralee. Little does he realise that his PA. Roz (Sally Adamson), is infatuated with him and Adamson regularly provided fantastic comedy moments each time she was on stage as well as perfectly delivering two very different solo pieces. There is great comedy assigned to the character of Margaret (Ruth Gibb), the office lush, and which Gibb delivered expertly - when the audience laugh immediately you enter the stage you know you've nailed it.
As with any production of this nature there are a lot of support characters. A love interest for Violet is provided by Joe (Dru Fitzgerald-Grindley), the office accountant, and their duet 'Let Love Grow' was beautifully sung by both and well received by the audience. Other characters involved some doubling-up and much credit to Sam Troke, Paul-James Green, Claire Heaton, Les Tasker, Zoe Lawrance, Liam Fitzgerald-Grindley, Keith Marsh and Bláthíne Maguire for their commendable efforts in making the whole of this work, as well as a special mention to the company's renowned Ensemble of Grace Hodgson, Marj Davies, Maureen Kinsey, Marion Hitchen, Audrey Francis, Barbara Marsh and Sophie Miller who provided sterling support yet again.
The sets were kept simple and well put together and I particularly liked the special construction of an additional stage area to provide Hart Jr. with his private office and that highlighted his detachment brilliantly. Costumes and props perfectly captured the late 1970's and, although only a slip of a boy, brought back some great memories.
Any great musical requires great choreography and we had that in spades from Sam Moores and Claire Jones, both accomplished performers in their own right who I look forward to seeing again: Jones in fact played two support roles tonight (Maria and Candy Striper) and her natural stage presence shone through in both as well as when part of the ensemble on the main song and dance routines.
The musical accompaniment led by Musical Director Wayne Oakes was superb […].
As with any performance we did have a glitch and it would be remiss of me not to mention that there were some microphone/sounds issues in Act 1, however the cast, and in particular Bradshaw who was the most affected, threw their voices further to compensate and everything was resolved for Act 2.
Much credit must be given to the Artistic Director, Pamela Foy, and Producer, Michelle Williams, (who apparently had enough time for this role as well as playing one of the female leads) for not only pulling this together but for pulling it off with such consummate ease. The audience were delighted throughout and I don't think any of us wanted the closing medley of '9 to 5/Shine Like The Sun' to end, especially when you can see how much fun the cast are having too.
Rainhill Musical Theatre Company was originally founded as Rainhill Amateur Operatic Society in 1951 - the name change is relatively recent - and is affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA). They produce two shows/revues/concerts per year, typically in January and June. There is also a Youth Group who perform a show or concert in April and October.
9 to 5 The Musical plays at Rainhill Village Hall for one more night only on Saturday 11th June 2016 at 7.30pm - book your tickets because you really do not want to miss out on this one. Tickets are available via their telephone hotline 0151 292 4458 or via email sephtons@hotmail.co.uk.
For further information visit their website https://www.rainhillmusicaltheatrecompany.co.uk
Before I start this review let me set out the challenge that Rainhill Musical Theatre Company did NOT know they were facing tonight at Rainhill Village Hall: I had just returned from New York and reviewing a 5-star Tony Award winning Broadway musical. But boy did they rise to this unknown task and some in one of the most engaging performances I have seen this year.
9 to 5 The Musical, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, is based on the hit movie, set in 1979 in a world where apples and blackberries are merely fruit that come off trees and the office was ruled by men, memoranda and monotony. It centres on three female office workers - Violet (Pip Bradshaw), Doralee (Sarah Johnson) and Judy (Michelle Williams) - who turn the tables on their sexist, lecherous, lying, bigot of a boss, the ultra-assured Franklin Hart Jr. (Brian Tubbs) in a somewhat 'unusual' manner with plenty of humour, some romance and food for thought thrown in along the way.
Our three central characters are all very different with their own particular quirks which allows us to see right into their dreams and desires, worries and concerns, but that does not stop them coming together in solidarity to oversee some long overdue changes in their workplace. For those of you born after 1980 there will be some real surprises in how things used to be.
Bradshaw, Johnson and Williams all have fantastic voices and delivered in solo and in trio superbly throughout as well as being perfectly in character with Bradshaw and Williams speaking in believable New York accents. Johnson was brave enough to resist both the pressure and perhaps urge to emulate Dolly Parton's country girl and in doing so made the role very much her own which was great to see and it worked all the better for it. They regularly demonstrated their comedic skill and timing and their wonderful but separate performances of 'The Dance of Death', 'Cowgirl's Revenge' and 'Potion Notion' was most memorable as, with a little 'hallucination', they imagined how to get rid of the boss.
So we know Franklin Hart Jr. is in for a hard time but Tubbs took it all on the chin perfectly as he captured this egotistical hypocrite to a tee singing out 'Here For You' whilst leering over his desk at the ever delectable Doralee. Little does he realise that his PA. Roz (Sally Adamson), is infatuated with him and Adamson regularly provided fantastic comedy moments each time she was on stage as well as perfectly delivering two very different solo pieces. There is great comedy assigned to the character of Margaret (Ruth Gibb), the office lush, and which Gibb delivered expertly - when the audience laugh immediately you enter the stage you know you've nailed it.
As with any production of this nature there are a lot of support characters. A love interest for Violet is provided by Joe (Dru Fitzgerald-Grindley), the office accountant, and their duet 'Let Love Grow' was beautifully sung by both and well received by the audience. Other characters involved some doubling-up and much credit to Sam Troke, Paul-James Green, Claire Heaton, Les Tasker, Zoe Lawrance, Liam Fitzgerald-Grindley, Keith Marsh and Bláthíne Maguire for their commendable efforts in making the whole of this work, as well as a special mention to the company's renowned Ensemble of Grace Hodgson, Marj Davies, Maureen Kinsey, Marion Hitchen, Audrey Francis, Barbara Marsh and Sophie Miller who provided sterling support yet again.
The sets were kept simple and well put together and I particularly liked the special construction of an additional stage area to provide Hart Jr. with his private office and that highlighted his detachment brilliantly. Costumes and props perfectly captured the late 1970's and, although only a slip of a boy, brought back some great memories.
Any great musical requires great choreography and we had that in spades from Sam Moores and Claire Jones, both accomplished performers in their own right who I look forward to seeing again: Jones in fact played two support roles tonight (Maria and Candy Striper) and her natural stage presence shone through in both as well as when part of the ensemble on the main song and dance routines.
The musical accompaniment led by Musical Director Wayne Oakes was superb […].
As with any performance we did have a glitch and it would be remiss of me not to mention that there were some microphone/sounds issues in Act 1, however the cast, and in particular Bradshaw who was the most affected, threw their voices further to compensate and everything was resolved for Act 2.
Much credit must be given to the Artistic Director, Pamela Foy, and Producer, Michelle Williams, (who apparently had enough time for this role as well as playing one of the female leads) for not only pulling this together but for pulling it off with such consummate ease. The audience were delighted throughout and I don't think any of us wanted the closing medley of '9 to 5/Shine Like The Sun' to end, especially when you can see how much fun the cast are having too.
Rainhill Musical Theatre Company was originally founded as Rainhill Amateur Operatic Society in 1951 - the name change is relatively recent - and is affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA). They produce two shows/revues/concerts per year, typically in January and June. There is also a Youth Group who perform a show or concert in April and October.
9 to 5 The Musical plays at Rainhill Village Hall for one more night only on Saturday 11th June 2016 at 7.30pm - book your tickets because you really do not want to miss out on this one. Tickets are available via their telephone hotline 0151 292 4458 or via email sephtons@hotmail.co.uk.
For further information visit their website https://www.rainhillmusicaltheatrecompany.co.uk
Jack and the Beanstalk - NODA review by Patricia Connor (District 6) - 15/01/16
Directed by Maria Heaton
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreography from Sam Moores, Claire Jones and Nicola Lyon
What a lovely enjoyable evening we had watching Rainhill Musical Theatre Company’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Written by Ian Betteridge and directed by Maria Heaton this was a first-rate traditional family pantomime with excellent scenery, good sound and lighting and some very good bright colourful costumes. The talented cast worked very hard to bring to the stage all the characters we know and love associated with this well-known story. The show was opened by Claire Jones as the Giants henchman Fleshcreep, Claire had just the right level of wickedness in her voice and certainly got plenty of boos each time she appeared on stage, her opposite number was Fairyydust played by Bet Davies who had a good friendly relationship with the audience. Dru Grindley- Fitzgerald made a wonderful flamboyant Dame Trott waring some striking costumes; he was complemented very well by David Stevens as Dame Trott’s son Bobby Trott. Both actors had good comic timing and produced some very good comedy moments which were a big hit with the audience. Bobby’s sister Jill, the sensible one in the Trott family, was played nicely by Michelle Williams, who also had a good relationship with her audience. At the centre of the story was Jack Trott played excellently by Sam Moores with the lovely Sally Adamson as Jacks love interest Princess Apricot, both acted very well and had outstanding singing voices which were a pleasure to listen to, blending together well, they made an excellent central pantomime couple. There were other good performances by Keith Marsh as a very comedic King Satupon, with Nicola Lyon as his servant Boy Blue, Ruth Gibb as Patty Cake, and Karen Woods as Bo Peep. We should not forget a very funny performance from Rosie Sephton as Daisy the Cow, her facial expressions were a joy to watch, she had the audience laughing loudly and lastly we have Mike Massey as the voice of the Giant. The pace of the show along with diction and clarity of words were just right meaning the plot could be followed easily and generally comic timing was spot on. The chorus of adults and children worked hard and appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely joining in with most of the action on stage. Choreography from Sam Moores, Claire Jones and Nicola Lyon was just right for the production and was executed well by the cast.
The band led by Musical Director Wayne Oakes played excellently and supported the cast very well. There was a very enjoyable choice of music in this pantomime and it was a pleasure to hear live music
The success of any pantomime can be measured by the reaction of the audience and the audience certainly joined in and appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely during this pantomime.
Congratulations to all involved in bringing this very good family Pantomime to the stage this was a very enjoyable production. Thank you for inviting us we had a great evening.
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreography from Sam Moores, Claire Jones and Nicola Lyon
What a lovely enjoyable evening we had watching Rainhill Musical Theatre Company’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Written by Ian Betteridge and directed by Maria Heaton this was a first-rate traditional family pantomime with excellent scenery, good sound and lighting and some very good bright colourful costumes. The talented cast worked very hard to bring to the stage all the characters we know and love associated with this well-known story. The show was opened by Claire Jones as the Giants henchman Fleshcreep, Claire had just the right level of wickedness in her voice and certainly got plenty of boos each time she appeared on stage, her opposite number was Fairyydust played by Bet Davies who had a good friendly relationship with the audience. Dru Grindley- Fitzgerald made a wonderful flamboyant Dame Trott waring some striking costumes; he was complemented very well by David Stevens as Dame Trott’s son Bobby Trott. Both actors had good comic timing and produced some very good comedy moments which were a big hit with the audience. Bobby’s sister Jill, the sensible one in the Trott family, was played nicely by Michelle Williams, who also had a good relationship with her audience. At the centre of the story was Jack Trott played excellently by Sam Moores with the lovely Sally Adamson as Jacks love interest Princess Apricot, both acted very well and had outstanding singing voices which were a pleasure to listen to, blending together well, they made an excellent central pantomime couple. There were other good performances by Keith Marsh as a very comedic King Satupon, with Nicola Lyon as his servant Boy Blue, Ruth Gibb as Patty Cake, and Karen Woods as Bo Peep. We should not forget a very funny performance from Rosie Sephton as Daisy the Cow, her facial expressions were a joy to watch, she had the audience laughing loudly and lastly we have Mike Massey as the voice of the Giant. The pace of the show along with diction and clarity of words were just right meaning the plot could be followed easily and generally comic timing was spot on. The chorus of adults and children worked hard and appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely joining in with most of the action on stage. Choreography from Sam Moores, Claire Jones and Nicola Lyon was just right for the production and was executed well by the cast.
The band led by Musical Director Wayne Oakes played excellently and supported the cast very well. There was a very enjoyable choice of music in this pantomime and it was a pleasure to hear live music
The success of any pantomime can be measured by the reaction of the audience and the audience certainly joined in and appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely during this pantomime.
Congratulations to all involved in bringing this very good family Pantomime to the stage this was a very enjoyable production. Thank you for inviting us we had a great evening.
Jack and the Beanstalk is a relatively recent fairy tale with the earliest surviving written version dating from the 19th Century. Where it is particularly unusual is that original versions lacked the moral undertone and warning more overtly stated in other fairy tales and relied on a young audience knowing that robbery and murder (by Jack)are wrong. Later versions became more explicit in illustrating the villainous nature of the giant and justifying Jack’s actions as worthy retribution.
And then of course all such tales evolved to the pantomime performances we all know and love today and where tonight Rainhill Musical Theatre Company truly excelled with their combinations of song, dance, and slapstick humour to delight their audience.
A dark opening of zombies in chains introduced us to the Giant’s henchman, Fleshcreep (Claire Jones) who did a wonderful job of scaring us and regularly eliciting a chorus of boos throughout the evening – just what every Panto-baddy wants to hear.
Fairydust (Bet Davies) offered the contrast of good with lines delivered in verse before we were into our first full song and dance number of the evening which was admirably performed and with great support from the Chorus and in particular the younger players (Team B tonight as performances are alternated between two groups). The choreography throughout the evening was well thought through and it is lovely to watch when you can see both the dancers and cast enjoying themselves.
Some minor microphone issues were dealt with quickly as Jack’s siblings, Jill (Michelle Williams, who is also Assistant Director) and Bobby (David Stevens) were introduced with Williams providing the ‘sense’ to Stevens ‘nonsense’ as he took on the Panto-fool role to good effect.
Further song and dance routines move the story along and bring other characters into play whilst allowing a number of great solos and duets from cast members including Princess Apricot (Sally Adamson), King Satupon (Keith Marsh), Patty Cake (Ruth Gibb), Bo Peep (Karen Woods) and Boy Blue (Nicola Lyon) to be delivered as well as allowing impressive set changes to take us from the village to the clouds to the Giant’s palace and back again.
You can’t have a Panto without a dame and Jack’s mother, Dame Trott (Dru Grindley-Fitzgerald) superbly ticked all the boxes and some along with an ever-changing wardrobe of overly dramatic outfits. Daisy the Cow (Rosie Sephton) stole the show a few times with superb facial performances – a must when your only lines are ‘moo’.
And finally Jack (Sam Moores) appears and the story begins to unfold as our cast of happy-go-lucky innocents are scared by the constant ‘Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum’ of the Giant (ably voiced by Mike Massey) in the background but who sadly we never get to see, although this is more than made up for with Jones’ superbly evil henchman.
I was most impressed with how the numbers were shared out amongst the cast allowing them all an opportunity to shine to able accompaniment on the keyboard from Musical Director (Wayne Oakes) and drummer (George Grundy). Many happy returns, by the way, to Oakes as we got to celebrate his birthday in the interval.
Wonderful interplay between Adamson’s Princess and Moores’ Jack saw thoughtful delivery with a mix of pathos and irony alongside more great musical numbers; Adamson’s solo on ‘You’re My Flashlight’ was outstanding and I am glad the Giant didn’t get to eat her.
This well-worked and cleverly delivered performance has to have a happy ending of course and we saw a number of betrothals accompanied at the end by a rendition of ‘Happy’. Looking around the audience it was clear to see that we all were. Much credit must go to the Director, Maria Heaton, for bringing the whole thing together in such a wonderful way.
Rainhill Musical Theatre Company was originally founded as Rainhill Amateur Operatic Society in 1951 – the name change is relatively recent – and is affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA). They produce two shows/revues/concerts per year, typically in January and June. There is also a Youth Group who perform a show or concert in April and November.
Jack and the Beanstalk plays at Rainhill Village Hall until 17th January 2016 with matinee performances at 2.15pm on Saturday and Sunday and an evening performance at 7.30pm on Saturday.
And then of course all such tales evolved to the pantomime performances we all know and love today and where tonight Rainhill Musical Theatre Company truly excelled with their combinations of song, dance, and slapstick humour to delight their audience.
A dark opening of zombies in chains introduced us to the Giant’s henchman, Fleshcreep (Claire Jones) who did a wonderful job of scaring us and regularly eliciting a chorus of boos throughout the evening – just what every Panto-baddy wants to hear.
Fairydust (Bet Davies) offered the contrast of good with lines delivered in verse before we were into our first full song and dance number of the evening which was admirably performed and with great support from the Chorus and in particular the younger players (Team B tonight as performances are alternated between two groups). The choreography throughout the evening was well thought through and it is lovely to watch when you can see both the dancers and cast enjoying themselves.
Some minor microphone issues were dealt with quickly as Jack’s siblings, Jill (Michelle Williams, who is also Assistant Director) and Bobby (David Stevens) were introduced with Williams providing the ‘sense’ to Stevens ‘nonsense’ as he took on the Panto-fool role to good effect.
Further song and dance routines move the story along and bring other characters into play whilst allowing a number of great solos and duets from cast members including Princess Apricot (Sally Adamson), King Satupon (Keith Marsh), Patty Cake (Ruth Gibb), Bo Peep (Karen Woods) and Boy Blue (Nicola Lyon) to be delivered as well as allowing impressive set changes to take us from the village to the clouds to the Giant’s palace and back again.
You can’t have a Panto without a dame and Jack’s mother, Dame Trott (Dru Grindley-Fitzgerald) superbly ticked all the boxes and some along with an ever-changing wardrobe of overly dramatic outfits. Daisy the Cow (Rosie Sephton) stole the show a few times with superb facial performances – a must when your only lines are ‘moo’.
And finally Jack (Sam Moores) appears and the story begins to unfold as our cast of happy-go-lucky innocents are scared by the constant ‘Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum’ of the Giant (ably voiced by Mike Massey) in the background but who sadly we never get to see, although this is more than made up for with Jones’ superbly evil henchman.
I was most impressed with how the numbers were shared out amongst the cast allowing them all an opportunity to shine to able accompaniment on the keyboard from Musical Director (Wayne Oakes) and drummer (George Grundy). Many happy returns, by the way, to Oakes as we got to celebrate his birthday in the interval.
Wonderful interplay between Adamson’s Princess and Moores’ Jack saw thoughtful delivery with a mix of pathos and irony alongside more great musical numbers; Adamson’s solo on ‘You’re My Flashlight’ was outstanding and I am glad the Giant didn’t get to eat her.
This well-worked and cleverly delivered performance has to have a happy ending of course and we saw a number of betrothals accompanied at the end by a rendition of ‘Happy’. Looking around the audience it was clear to see that we all were. Much credit must go to the Director, Maria Heaton, for bringing the whole thing together in such a wonderful way.
Rainhill Musical Theatre Company was originally founded as Rainhill Amateur Operatic Society in 1951 – the name change is relatively recent – and is affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA). They produce two shows/revues/concerts per year, typically in January and June. There is also a Youth Group who perform a show or concert in April and November.
Jack and the Beanstalk plays at Rainhill Village Hall until 17th January 2016 with matinee performances at 2.15pm on Saturday and Sunday and an evening performance at 7.30pm on Saturday.
Jack and the Beanstalk – Mark Davoren – 15/01/16
Stepping Out - Noda review by Patricia Connor (District 6) - 6/05/15
Director Sarah Johnson
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreographers Lucy Bradshaw, Michelle Dakin, Claire Jones, Nicola Lyon and Sam Moores.
Stepping Out the musical has Music by Denis King; Lyrics by Mary Stewart-David; from a Book by Richard Harris and is based on the original play of the same name also by Richard Harris written in 1984. The story concerns ten individuals who are from very different backgrounds with very different motivations who attend or teach at the same weekly tap dancing class in a local church hall. The musical version was first performed at the Theatre Royal Plymouth, 7th November 1996 and it lifts the original story to a new dimension.
This was the first time I had seen the musical version of “Stepping Out” although I have seen the play on a number of occasions. Directed by Sarah Johnson this was an enjoyable evening’s entertainment. Sarah had at her disposal some talented actors who worked and jelled together as a very entertaining ensemble. There were no weak links in this cast and I felt that all of the actors gave good performances, producing some very interesting characterisations of people who came from varied backgrounds resulting in some very poignant moments as well as some very funny comedy. All the cast had comic timing and the songs were not just sung they were performed with a great deal of feeling both of which are very important in a production of this kind. The cast included Sam Spencer as Mavis the class teacher, Marjorie Davies as Mrs Fraser the piano accompanist, Rosie Sephton as Vera, Sally Adamson as Dorothy, Pip Bradshaw as Maxine, Dawn Wright as Sylvia, Michelle Dakin as Andy, Ruth Gibb as Rose, Lucy Bradshaw as Lynne and last but not least Mike Massey as Geoffrey. The principle cast were well supported by a small chorus of ladies playing the other members of the dance class who fitted in well with the production adding volume and depth to some of the ensemble numbers, also there was a small comedic cameo role from Keith Marsh as Pete the show compare. Diction and clarity of words was excellent from all on stage enabling the audience to follow the plot with ease. Although the action and pace was a little slow at the beginning of the performance however it picked up as the show progressed. The dance and movement numbers were appropriate for the production and the Choreographers were Lucy Bradshaw, Michelle Dakin, Claire Jones, Nicola Lyon and Sam Moores.
Musical Director Wayne Oaks as always led the orchestra expertly; they made a very enjoyable sound and supported the cast securely.
The set design was up to the company’s usual good standard, well done to the stage crew, properties, sound and lighting and costumes which suited the roles, some of the class rehearsal outfits were very striking and added to the comedy as well.
Congratulations to director Sarah Johnson for a very enjoyable evening’s entertainment and well done to all involved in this production including front of house. Thank you for inviting me and I look forward to seeing you for your next production.
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreographers Lucy Bradshaw, Michelle Dakin, Claire Jones, Nicola Lyon and Sam Moores.
Stepping Out the musical has Music by Denis King; Lyrics by Mary Stewart-David; from a Book by Richard Harris and is based on the original play of the same name also by Richard Harris written in 1984. The story concerns ten individuals who are from very different backgrounds with very different motivations who attend or teach at the same weekly tap dancing class in a local church hall. The musical version was first performed at the Theatre Royal Plymouth, 7th November 1996 and it lifts the original story to a new dimension.
This was the first time I had seen the musical version of “Stepping Out” although I have seen the play on a number of occasions. Directed by Sarah Johnson this was an enjoyable evening’s entertainment. Sarah had at her disposal some talented actors who worked and jelled together as a very entertaining ensemble. There were no weak links in this cast and I felt that all of the actors gave good performances, producing some very interesting characterisations of people who came from varied backgrounds resulting in some very poignant moments as well as some very funny comedy. All the cast had comic timing and the songs were not just sung they were performed with a great deal of feeling both of which are very important in a production of this kind. The cast included Sam Spencer as Mavis the class teacher, Marjorie Davies as Mrs Fraser the piano accompanist, Rosie Sephton as Vera, Sally Adamson as Dorothy, Pip Bradshaw as Maxine, Dawn Wright as Sylvia, Michelle Dakin as Andy, Ruth Gibb as Rose, Lucy Bradshaw as Lynne and last but not least Mike Massey as Geoffrey. The principle cast were well supported by a small chorus of ladies playing the other members of the dance class who fitted in well with the production adding volume and depth to some of the ensemble numbers, also there was a small comedic cameo role from Keith Marsh as Pete the show compare. Diction and clarity of words was excellent from all on stage enabling the audience to follow the plot with ease. Although the action and pace was a little slow at the beginning of the performance however it picked up as the show progressed. The dance and movement numbers were appropriate for the production and the Choreographers were Lucy Bradshaw, Michelle Dakin, Claire Jones, Nicola Lyon and Sam Moores.
Musical Director Wayne Oaks as always led the orchestra expertly; they made a very enjoyable sound and supported the cast securely.
The set design was up to the company’s usual good standard, well done to the stage crew, properties, sound and lighting and costumes which suited the roles, some of the class rehearsal outfits were very striking and added to the comedy as well.
Congratulations to director Sarah Johnson for a very enjoyable evening’s entertainment and well done to all involved in this production including front of house. Thank you for inviting me and I look forward to seeing you for your next production.
The Winner Takes it All - NODA Review by Patricia Connor (District 6)
Director Sam Moores
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreographer Bryan Dargie Lynch & Nicola Lyon
“Winner Takes It All” was a revue featuring music from the 70s which was essentially the music of Abba and was written and directed by Sam Moores who also played Monica Clements a diva with attitude. The story was set in a workingmen’s club during the 1970s and follows the exploits of the customers on one particular night. The customers included a group of women celebrating a hen night out and another group on a night out from work. The story follows the drama that ensues when the bride from the hen night whose fiancé had been married before meets his ex-wife who is with her friends from work. The cast was quite large so it would be difficult to mention everyone but having said that I feel I must give a mention to Keith Marsh who played the compere, he was very funny and had very good comic timing reminding me very much of a TV program of the era called “ The Wheeltappers and Shunters Club”. All the cast appeared to be enjoying themselves very much working together as a team with lots of energy and enthusiasm which filtered out into the audience who were clapping , cheering and singing along to the music. It appeared that most of the cast sang solo at some point in the performance with varying vocal abilities and there was an occasional tuning problem but this did not detract at all from everybody’s enjoyment. There was also quite a lot of entertaining dancing in this production from “The Ferretettes” with choreography by Bryan Dargie Lynch and Nicola Lyon .The band named “The Chipolatas” was led by the Musical Director and keyboard player Wayne Oaks and was excellent supporting the cast very well even sounding very much like Abba at times. The set was also excellent and looked effective giving a good platform for the cast to work on, sound and lighting were good and costumes were colourful and fitted the era well, it was obvious some thought had gone into getting the them right. The audience enjoyed themselves throughout the performance and in the finale of the show they got up and danced to the music joining in with the cast.
Congratulations to Sam Moores who also has a good singing voice for an enjoyable evening’s entertainment and well done to all involved in this production including front of house. Thank you for inviting my husband and me and making us welcome I hope to see you for your next production.
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreographer Bryan Dargie Lynch & Nicola Lyon
“Winner Takes It All” was a revue featuring music from the 70s which was essentially the music of Abba and was written and directed by Sam Moores who also played Monica Clements a diva with attitude. The story was set in a workingmen’s club during the 1970s and follows the exploits of the customers on one particular night. The customers included a group of women celebrating a hen night out and another group on a night out from work. The story follows the drama that ensues when the bride from the hen night whose fiancé had been married before meets his ex-wife who is with her friends from work. The cast was quite large so it would be difficult to mention everyone but having said that I feel I must give a mention to Keith Marsh who played the compere, he was very funny and had very good comic timing reminding me very much of a TV program of the era called “ The Wheeltappers and Shunters Club”. All the cast appeared to be enjoying themselves very much working together as a team with lots of energy and enthusiasm which filtered out into the audience who were clapping , cheering and singing along to the music. It appeared that most of the cast sang solo at some point in the performance with varying vocal abilities and there was an occasional tuning problem but this did not detract at all from everybody’s enjoyment. There was also quite a lot of entertaining dancing in this production from “The Ferretettes” with choreography by Bryan Dargie Lynch and Nicola Lyon .The band named “The Chipolatas” was led by the Musical Director and keyboard player Wayne Oaks and was excellent supporting the cast very well even sounding very much like Abba at times. The set was also excellent and looked effective giving a good platform for the cast to work on, sound and lighting were good and costumes were colourful and fitted the era well, it was obvious some thought had gone into getting the them right. The audience enjoyed themselves throughout the performance and in the finale of the show they got up and danced to the music joining in with the cast.
Congratulations to Sam Moores who also has a good singing voice for an enjoyable evening’s entertainment and well done to all involved in this production including front of house. Thank you for inviting my husband and me and making us welcome I hope to see you for your next production.
Nunsense - NODA review by Patricia Connor (District 6) - 7/06/2014
Book Music and Lyrics written by Dan Goggin
Director Paul Robinson
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreography by Bryan Dargie- Lynch
“Nunsense” is a comedy musical with book music and lyrics written by Dan Goggin. The story follows the exploits of the little sisters of Hoboken originally founded as a missionary order to run a leper colony on an island in the south of France. They were then forced to move back to Hoboken where they lived a quiet life until one day their cook sister Julia (Child of God) served botulism infected vichyssoise soup and 52 of the nuns died. However some of the sisters were away playing bingo and were spared the fate of the others, but on discovering the tragedy the Reverend Mother had a vision and was told to start a greeting card company to raise funds so they could bury their sisters. They were successful and buried 48 of their fellow nuns and thinking there was still plenty of money Reverend Mother bought a plasma TV for the Covent, unfortunately they then realised there wasn’t enough money to bury the last four sisters so to raise the money needed they decided to hold a concert and in the meantime placed the sisters in the freezer.
I have never seen this show before and didn’t know what to expect however this production was very funny with some very catchy musical numbers and was really enjoyable. There were some talented actors in the cast who produced some wonderful eccentric characters to entertain us. They all worked as a team and there were no weak links which along with very good comic timing was very important to the success of this show. The talented cast included Bet Davies as Reverend Mother Mary Regina, Pip Bradshaw as Sister Mary Hubert Mistress of the Novices, Sam Moores as Sister Robert Anne a streetwise Brooklyn nun, Julie Molyneux as Sister Mary Amnesia a nun who had lost her memory and was also an accomplished puppeteer. There was Michelle Dakin as Sister Mary Leo a novice who wanted to be a ballerina and Rosie Sephton as Sister Julia (Child of God) who was the convent cook. They were well supported by the smaller roles and also the other Nuns of the chorus who also produced some nice characterisations. Diction was generally good and dialogue could be followed except on a few occasions during the musical numbers. However accents both Irish and American were excellent and were maintained well throughout the show. It was obvious the whole cast thoroughly enjoyed themselves in this production and this was equally reflected by the response of the audience who also appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely.
The orchestra conducted by Musical Director Wayne Oakes played and supported the cast very well although they were a little loud on one or two occasions. Choreography by Bryan Dargie- Lynch (who also played Father Virgil the one man in the show), was suitable for the production and included a nice tap dance from the nuns. Well done to the stage crew for their set design and construction which provided a good platform for the cast to perform on, and also well done to sound and lighting. The costumes looked accurate and appeared to be of good quality, it was also amusing to see everyone involved with this show dressed as a nun or a priest including front of house and the orchestra.
Congratulations to Director Paul Robinson and Producer Paul Davies for a very funny enjoyable production. Well done to all involved including front of house thank you for inviting me I hope to see you again for your next production
Director Paul Robinson
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Choreography by Bryan Dargie- Lynch
“Nunsense” is a comedy musical with book music and lyrics written by Dan Goggin. The story follows the exploits of the little sisters of Hoboken originally founded as a missionary order to run a leper colony on an island in the south of France. They were then forced to move back to Hoboken where they lived a quiet life until one day their cook sister Julia (Child of God) served botulism infected vichyssoise soup and 52 of the nuns died. However some of the sisters were away playing bingo and were spared the fate of the others, but on discovering the tragedy the Reverend Mother had a vision and was told to start a greeting card company to raise funds so they could bury their sisters. They were successful and buried 48 of their fellow nuns and thinking there was still plenty of money Reverend Mother bought a plasma TV for the Covent, unfortunately they then realised there wasn’t enough money to bury the last four sisters so to raise the money needed they decided to hold a concert and in the meantime placed the sisters in the freezer.
I have never seen this show before and didn’t know what to expect however this production was very funny with some very catchy musical numbers and was really enjoyable. There were some talented actors in the cast who produced some wonderful eccentric characters to entertain us. They all worked as a team and there were no weak links which along with very good comic timing was very important to the success of this show. The talented cast included Bet Davies as Reverend Mother Mary Regina, Pip Bradshaw as Sister Mary Hubert Mistress of the Novices, Sam Moores as Sister Robert Anne a streetwise Brooklyn nun, Julie Molyneux as Sister Mary Amnesia a nun who had lost her memory and was also an accomplished puppeteer. There was Michelle Dakin as Sister Mary Leo a novice who wanted to be a ballerina and Rosie Sephton as Sister Julia (Child of God) who was the convent cook. They were well supported by the smaller roles and also the other Nuns of the chorus who also produced some nice characterisations. Diction was generally good and dialogue could be followed except on a few occasions during the musical numbers. However accents both Irish and American were excellent and were maintained well throughout the show. It was obvious the whole cast thoroughly enjoyed themselves in this production and this was equally reflected by the response of the audience who also appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely.
The orchestra conducted by Musical Director Wayne Oakes played and supported the cast very well although they were a little loud on one or two occasions. Choreography by Bryan Dargie- Lynch (who also played Father Virgil the one man in the show), was suitable for the production and included a nice tap dance from the nuns. Well done to the stage crew for their set design and construction which provided a good platform for the cast to perform on, and also well done to sound and lighting. The costumes looked accurate and appeared to be of good quality, it was also amusing to see everyone involved with this show dressed as a nun or a priest including front of house and the orchestra.
Congratulations to Director Paul Robinson and Producer Paul Davies for a very funny enjoyable production. Well done to all involved including front of house thank you for inviting me I hope to see you again for your next production
Cinderella - Noda review
This Cinderella script by Roy Hayes and adapted by Producer Claire Heaton was a melange of the traditional story with many other modern characters. It was a very complex script and the cast had to work hard with all its many twists and turns. There was a very interesting choice of musical numbers which appealed to all ages although some would have benefited from being shortened somewhat. Live music, always a bonus, was in the capable hands of Wayne Oakes and James Nelson who never overshadowed those on stage, not always the case with some companies. Bryan Dargie-Lynch as Buttons brought an interesting and different character and appearance to the traditional role. He had a very good rapport with the audience. Bet Davies as the Baroness made the most of her supporting role with a strong vocal range. Claire Jones as the Cat brought an individuality to the classic role. Costumes, lighting and sound all helped to make this a memorable night. I do feel that attention should be paid to the timing of any production, this one was thirty minutes too long and I felt the audience were becoming restless by the finale. This is a very friendly society with obvious loyalty and commitment from its members and I look forward to another visit in the future
Review by NODA Rep, Budge, for the Rainhill Youth Group Production Nominations
NOMINATIONS RAINHILL YOUTH Section
This was my first visit to Rainhill for any reason and I was standing in for the usual NODA rep who was unable to attend.
It was great to see a talented and lively youth section of the local Musical Theatre Company perform especially as there are too few opportunities for young people to express themselves in a stage environment. Produced and directed by Sam Moores the show offered a wide variety of songs and styles. I was most impressed by the continuity which the Director engendered. No breaks in this performance; indeed on a couple of occasions in their eagerness we had members of the cast almost on stage before they should have been. This enthusiasm revealed itself throughout the show and it was obvious that the whole cast felt the same desire to be out there performing. Much care had been taken with the filming of the “Oscar Sections” a novel idea offering the chance of an acting role to some members of the cast. The range and choice of music selected gave the soloists a chance to demonstrate their abilities and the matching choreography by Sam Moores and Nicola Lyon reflected the appropriate style. Nicola was one of the senior class listed and the song “I don’t want to miss a thing” which she performed might well have been a motto for the whole cast.
I have not mentioned any particular names because the whole cast was good but the juniors were charming and in keeping with their age and experience at times not totally sure of what they were doing. This is to be expected in such a young group and aided by some lively encouragement from the Pit by the Director they treated the audience to some special moments. What I saw bodes well for the future of Rainhill Musical Theatre Company. These young people are your future and I am sure that future is in safe hands Budge
Review by NODA Rep, Budge, for the Rainhill Youth Group Production Nominations
NOMINATIONS RAINHILL YOUTH Section
This was my first visit to Rainhill for any reason and I was standing in for the usual NODA rep who was unable to attend.
It was great to see a talented and lively youth section of the local Musical Theatre Company perform especially as there are too few opportunities for young people to express themselves in a stage environment. Produced and directed by Sam Moores the show offered a wide variety of songs and styles. I was most impressed by the continuity which the Director engendered. No breaks in this performance; indeed on a couple of occasions in their eagerness we had members of the cast almost on stage before they should have been. This enthusiasm revealed itself throughout the show and it was obvious that the whole cast felt the same desire to be out there performing. Much care had been taken with the filming of the “Oscar Sections” a novel idea offering the chance of an acting role to some members of the cast. The range and choice of music selected gave the soloists a chance to demonstrate their abilities and the matching choreography by Sam Moores and Nicola Lyon reflected the appropriate style. Nicola was one of the senior class listed and the song “I don’t want to miss a thing” which she performed might well have been a motto for the whole cast.
I have not mentioned any particular names because the whole cast was good but the juniors were charming and in keeping with their age and experience at times not totally sure of what they were doing. This is to be expected in such a young group and aided by some lively encouragement from the Pit by the Director they treated the audience to some special moments. What I saw bodes well for the future of Rainhill Musical Theatre Company. These young people are your future and I am sure that future is in safe hands Budge
Return To The Forbidden Planet – NODA review by Patricia Connor (District 6) – 7/06/13
By Bob Carlton
Produced and Directed by Bryan Dargie-Lynch
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Return to the Forbidden Planet is what is termed by some as a Jukebox musical by playwright Bob Carlton based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest and the 1950s science fiction film Forbidden Planet. The high energy show features a bevy of 1950s and 1960s rock and roll classics including Great Balls of Fire, Good Vibrations, Teenager in Love, The Young Ones, Don’t Let Me be Misunderstood, The Monster Mash, Wipeout, Young Girl, Born to be Wild, Gimme some Lovin’ and many, many more.
On entering the auditorium we were on board the spaceship Albatross and some crew members (the cast) were undertaking routine checks ready for take-off, while others were showing the audience to their seats. The ship was represented by a very convincing open stage set. I wonder how many empty recycle bins belonging to the cast and crew there were leading up to this production. Well done to the set designer and the construction team.
As the show begins you are welcomed on board the Albatross by two unforgettable characters Cutie Cull and Vesuvia the ships hostesses played entertainingly by Claire Heaton and Rosie Sephton. They then invite you to sit back and relax as the crew take you to another galaxy. You meet characters such as the jet-setting Captain Tempest played and sung well by Paul Robinson who had an enjoyable singing voice. There is a mad scientist Doctor Prospero nicely played by Paul Davies, and then there was Pip Bradshaw who was outstanding as a soft hearted fun loving robot named Ariel. Bryan Dargie-Lynch as Cookie was a very likeable character and had affinity with the audience he also delivered his dialog well. The Science Officer Gloria (Prospero’s estranged wife) was played with conviction and swagger by Sam Moores. She sang her songs with feeling and her voice suited the songs. Julie Molyneux as Bosun Arras the ships officer gave us a good sound performance and sang well as did Bet Davies in her part as the Navigation officer. Sarah Johnson did well as Prospero’s daughter Miranda she emanated naivety on first encounter and then ably changes character later in the show when trying a different tactic to attract the Captain. Ruth Gibb was very amusing as the Newscaster keeping us up to date with the story. The principle cast were ably supported by the crew members (chorus) each one offering different characterisations to good effect. In this show libretto is spoken in Shakespeare verse with an American accent, resulting in the potential for it to be problematical for the audience when trying to follow the action. However in this production for a majority of the performance the actors projected very clear diction and there were some very good well-maintained American accents. But unfortunately on just a few occasions the dialogue was not easy to hear.
The small but well balanced orchestra was conducted by Musical Director Wayne Oakes and was one of the better orchestras I have heard. They supported the cast well although they were a little loud on a few occasions; however I was sat on the front row and my feet were keeping time with the music most of the time
The costumes were well thought out and it was obvious allot of time and effort had gone into getting the right theme and putting them together. Well done to sound, lighting, crew and front of house, the unsung heroes of many productions.
Congratulations to Bryan Dargie-Lynch Producer/Director for a very enjoyable toe tapping show.
Thank you for inviting me and making me so welcome, I truthfully enjoyed my evening with you.
Produced and Directed by Bryan Dargie-Lynch
Musical Director Wayne Oakes
Return to the Forbidden Planet is what is termed by some as a Jukebox musical by playwright Bob Carlton based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest and the 1950s science fiction film Forbidden Planet. The high energy show features a bevy of 1950s and 1960s rock and roll classics including Great Balls of Fire, Good Vibrations, Teenager in Love, The Young Ones, Don’t Let Me be Misunderstood, The Monster Mash, Wipeout, Young Girl, Born to be Wild, Gimme some Lovin’ and many, many more.
On entering the auditorium we were on board the spaceship Albatross and some crew members (the cast) were undertaking routine checks ready for take-off, while others were showing the audience to their seats. The ship was represented by a very convincing open stage set. I wonder how many empty recycle bins belonging to the cast and crew there were leading up to this production. Well done to the set designer and the construction team.
As the show begins you are welcomed on board the Albatross by two unforgettable characters Cutie Cull and Vesuvia the ships hostesses played entertainingly by Claire Heaton and Rosie Sephton. They then invite you to sit back and relax as the crew take you to another galaxy. You meet characters such as the jet-setting Captain Tempest played and sung well by Paul Robinson who had an enjoyable singing voice. There is a mad scientist Doctor Prospero nicely played by Paul Davies, and then there was Pip Bradshaw who was outstanding as a soft hearted fun loving robot named Ariel. Bryan Dargie-Lynch as Cookie was a very likeable character and had affinity with the audience he also delivered his dialog well. The Science Officer Gloria (Prospero’s estranged wife) was played with conviction and swagger by Sam Moores. She sang her songs with feeling and her voice suited the songs. Julie Molyneux as Bosun Arras the ships officer gave us a good sound performance and sang well as did Bet Davies in her part as the Navigation officer. Sarah Johnson did well as Prospero’s daughter Miranda she emanated naivety on first encounter and then ably changes character later in the show when trying a different tactic to attract the Captain. Ruth Gibb was very amusing as the Newscaster keeping us up to date with the story. The principle cast were ably supported by the crew members (chorus) each one offering different characterisations to good effect. In this show libretto is spoken in Shakespeare verse with an American accent, resulting in the potential for it to be problematical for the audience when trying to follow the action. However in this production for a majority of the performance the actors projected very clear diction and there were some very good well-maintained American accents. But unfortunately on just a few occasions the dialogue was not easy to hear.
The small but well balanced orchestra was conducted by Musical Director Wayne Oakes and was one of the better orchestras I have heard. They supported the cast well although they were a little loud on a few occasions; however I was sat on the front row and my feet were keeping time with the music most of the time
The costumes were well thought out and it was obvious allot of time and effort had gone into getting the right theme and putting them together. Well done to sound, lighting, crew and front of house, the unsung heroes of many productions.
Congratulations to Bryan Dargie-Lynch Producer/Director for a very enjoyable toe tapping show.
Thank you for inviting me and making me so welcome, I truthfully enjoyed my evening with you.
Free & Easy – Review by Wendy Newton – 15/6/12
Producer/Director: Paul Davies
Musical Director: Wayne Oakes
Choreographer: Katie Molyneux
This is a Musical Comedy Play set in the late 1960’s. I feel on this occasion, that for the benefit of readers from societies other than R.M.T.C. I must give you a potted resume of the Story behind this extremely funny production. Set in the North in the late 1960’s, Eric & Iris Dobbins have been running “The Last Drop” friendly neighbourhood local for many years as a “Free & Easy”, which is now known as “Karaoke”. It had the coveted pub of the year Award for two years running and altogether it’s a right old family style pub where everybody knows everybody, their peaceful existence is interrupted by “Slimy Ron Stone”, the external premises consultant from the brewery, who seeing possible "marketing potential " presents a new 5 year business Plan with a revised Tenancy agreement demanding £25,000 for the new one! Failure to Pay will mean eviction and this will allow the "Consultants" to turn it into a “Sleazy” entertainment centre. The Staff and Customers are distraught that they could possibly lose the Pub. Meanwhile Ron Stone has intercepted a letter from North West TV offering a weekly TV slot to the Pub enabling them to beam “Free & Easy” nights into the homes of millions. The Staff and customers come up with a scheming plan to thwart “Dodgy Ron” – do they succeed? R.M.T.C. presented this with such enthusiasm and successfully produced a really entertaining performance. Paul Davies (Producer/Director) well deserves congratulations for his debut direction. The storyline sounds as dodgy as “Slimy Ron” but he manages to draw on his performing experience, enabling him to have the vision to produce a little gem of a comedy, utilising as much as he could from the cast, set, Venue etc. The whole Play had the tones of a 1960‘s-Phoenix Nights! Wayne Oakes (Musical Director) made the visual impact of a “Pub Band” within the set and during various scenes, added to the ambience of the era accompanied the cast and sounded fabulous reproducing the swinging 60’s sounds of all the well-known tunes such as “Doo Doo Ron Ron“, ”You can’t Hurry Love“, ”Down Town“, ”Cry Me a River“, ”These Boots are made for Walking”, ”Dedicated Follower of Fashion” and the list goes on… Katie Molyneux (Choreographer) arranged some nifty moves, creating some really effective 60’s style Choreography and it was obvious that she had spent lots of time “Drilling“ the cast. All of the cast from the principals to the chorus played their part brilliantly; some of the comedy was at its best when delivered with “Dead Pan” face and there were such contrasting and complementing characters. Landlord/Lady, Barmaids, Scout leader, Teddyboy-Cocky-Electrician, Village-Idiot, Dodgy-Ron Stone were all so good with some lovely little cameo chorus characters which all added to the success of the performance. There is some times a fine line between comedy and panto, but I thought that the whole company should be congratulated for their careful portrayals of each role and not overplaying in order to be funny; some excellent timing and skilful depictions ensured that the storyline and the entertainment value were upheld throughout. The set was really authentic well thought out and this helped to create right atmosphere. Costumes were very 60’s, well suited to the individuals and gathered together by the company which in itself should be commended. Well done to all concerned with the production from behind the Footlights to the Front of House. Thanking you all sincerely for a really entertaining evening and also your kind hospitality. I look forward to seeing future productions and meeting up with you all again soon.
Musical Director: Wayne Oakes
Choreographer: Katie Molyneux
This is a Musical Comedy Play set in the late 1960’s. I feel on this occasion, that for the benefit of readers from societies other than R.M.T.C. I must give you a potted resume of the Story behind this extremely funny production. Set in the North in the late 1960’s, Eric & Iris Dobbins have been running “The Last Drop” friendly neighbourhood local for many years as a “Free & Easy”, which is now known as “Karaoke”. It had the coveted pub of the year Award for two years running and altogether it’s a right old family style pub where everybody knows everybody, their peaceful existence is interrupted by “Slimy Ron Stone”, the external premises consultant from the brewery, who seeing possible "marketing potential " presents a new 5 year business Plan with a revised Tenancy agreement demanding £25,000 for the new one! Failure to Pay will mean eviction and this will allow the "Consultants" to turn it into a “Sleazy” entertainment centre. The Staff and Customers are distraught that they could possibly lose the Pub. Meanwhile Ron Stone has intercepted a letter from North West TV offering a weekly TV slot to the Pub enabling them to beam “Free & Easy” nights into the homes of millions. The Staff and customers come up with a scheming plan to thwart “Dodgy Ron” – do they succeed? R.M.T.C. presented this with such enthusiasm and successfully produced a really entertaining performance. Paul Davies (Producer/Director) well deserves congratulations for his debut direction. The storyline sounds as dodgy as “Slimy Ron” but he manages to draw on his performing experience, enabling him to have the vision to produce a little gem of a comedy, utilising as much as he could from the cast, set, Venue etc. The whole Play had the tones of a 1960‘s-Phoenix Nights! Wayne Oakes (Musical Director) made the visual impact of a “Pub Band” within the set and during various scenes, added to the ambience of the era accompanied the cast and sounded fabulous reproducing the swinging 60’s sounds of all the well-known tunes such as “Doo Doo Ron Ron“, ”You can’t Hurry Love“, ”Down Town“, ”Cry Me a River“, ”These Boots are made for Walking”, ”Dedicated Follower of Fashion” and the list goes on… Katie Molyneux (Choreographer) arranged some nifty moves, creating some really effective 60’s style Choreography and it was obvious that she had spent lots of time “Drilling“ the cast. All of the cast from the principals to the chorus played their part brilliantly; some of the comedy was at its best when delivered with “Dead Pan” face and there were such contrasting and complementing characters. Landlord/Lady, Barmaids, Scout leader, Teddyboy-Cocky-Electrician, Village-Idiot, Dodgy-Ron Stone were all so good with some lovely little cameo chorus characters which all added to the success of the performance. There is some times a fine line between comedy and panto, but I thought that the whole company should be congratulated for their careful portrayals of each role and not overplaying in order to be funny; some excellent timing and skilful depictions ensured that the storyline and the entertainment value were upheld throughout. The set was really authentic well thought out and this helped to create right atmosphere. Costumes were very 60’s, well suited to the individuals and gathered together by the company which in itself should be commended. Well done to all concerned with the production from behind the Footlights to the Front of House. Thanking you all sincerely for a really entertaining evening and also your kind hospitality. I look forward to seeing future productions and meeting up with you all again soon.
Little Red Riding Hood – Review by Kevin Rawcliffe – 14/1/2012
Producer/Director: Maria Heaton
Musical Director: Wayne Oakes
Choreographer: Katie Molyneux, Nicola Lyon, Claire Jones
This was a well-structured Panto with some very interesting additions.
The band were just at the right level for the performers on stage and sounded great.
There was a lively opening to this production with a rousing version of Consider Yourself, this was a great feel good number to open with, combine this with very colourful costumes and also a lovely back cloth, this set the standards for this show.
The choreography was well executed and fitted into the whole show well, I liked how everyone gave it a go regardless of capabilities, this shows the ethos of a wonderful society willing to work with all its members. The lighting plot worked for me and the cast delivered full characters, I liked them all well done.
I particularly liked the choreography in the version of all the single ladies; this was both creative and looked great. The buzzie bee gag worked so well and had the audience in stitches.
The sound seemed to be unbalanced and varied on some occasions however this can happen during live performances. Another brick in the wall was a super number.
The pace was super and never faltered, the whole cast worked so hard without exception so it would be unfair for me to single anyone out; I loved the classroom scene, one mention would be to the little squirrels who sang and danced beautifully so well done.
The costumes and make up were brilliant. The whole company smiled and looked like they were enjoying every minute of this production.
I found that this Panto gave traditional family values and delivered a fun message. You should all be proud of entertaining us with a great show well done and thank you, keep up these wonderful standards.
Musical Director: Wayne Oakes
Choreographer: Katie Molyneux, Nicola Lyon, Claire Jones
This was a well-structured Panto with some very interesting additions.
The band were just at the right level for the performers on stage and sounded great.
There was a lively opening to this production with a rousing version of Consider Yourself, this was a great feel good number to open with, combine this with very colourful costumes and also a lovely back cloth, this set the standards for this show.
The choreography was well executed and fitted into the whole show well, I liked how everyone gave it a go regardless of capabilities, this shows the ethos of a wonderful society willing to work with all its members. The lighting plot worked for me and the cast delivered full characters, I liked them all well done.
I particularly liked the choreography in the version of all the single ladies; this was both creative and looked great. The buzzie bee gag worked so well and had the audience in stitches.
The sound seemed to be unbalanced and varied on some occasions however this can happen during live performances. Another brick in the wall was a super number.
The pace was super and never faltered, the whole cast worked so hard without exception so it would be unfair for me to single anyone out; I loved the classroom scene, one mention would be to the little squirrels who sang and danced beautifully so well done.
The costumes and make up were brilliant. The whole company smiled and looked like they were enjoying every minute of this production.
I found that this Panto gave traditional family values and delivered a fun message. You should all be proud of entertaining us with a great show well done and thank you, keep up these wonderful standards.
