ANYTHING GOES.
It was opening night and there was a real buzz about the place. I was overjoyed to see that there was a very full house! Because it was “First Night” it is always exciting but it is also tinged with a little fear. Will everything go as planned? Well, apart from a few very minor hitches, there was barely a moment of hesitation which I thought was quite remarkable in so complex a show, so many chorus pieces and relatively so little room in which to manoeuvre AND opening night!
The opening was rather intimate with just the bar, the barman and Elisha Whitney (Andrew Hamel-Cooke) having a few drinks too many. Andrew established his character within minutes, his diction was clear, his face was mobile and he was obviously very comfortable in his part and on stage. Throughout the show he showed a sustained ability to hold his character and play the comedy when it came his way.
As the story unfolded we got to know the characters. Billy Crocker (Tom Hudson) proved to be believable and had a good singing voice. There were a few intonation problems here and there usually in the top register. He made a good stab at the dancing too. I was impressed by the lift. He was most successful when singing with Remo (Vicky Cartwright). Well done both!
Billy’s desire to marry Hope Harcourt (Lisa Waters) seems destined to fail as he learns that she is engaged to marry Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (Anthony Kemp). Lord Evelyn was wonderfully OTT and played the character of the archetypical English aristocrat. He provided a wonderful foil for the other characters, he sustained the character throughout, all his comic moments were played to a maximum. When he finally realises that Remo loves him and he loves her, their Spanish dance was a real tour de force and brought the house down.
Remo had a lovely voice which she used to good effect in all scenes, though the dialogue sections sometimes lacked clarity but his was true for all at some point. First night nerves, perhaps! She always looked the part and danced with absolute ease. When she was accompanied by the glamorous and very talented dancers, Charity (Laura Thomson), Chastity(Melanie Beggs) and Virtue(Nikki Kirkup), we were treated to something a bit special. I particularly enjoyed their contribution to the nightclub scene in “Blow. Gabriel, Blow.” One slight reservation about Remo was that I was never entirely convinced that she was as naughty as she tried to make out!
Billy’s great love is Hope Harcourt (Lisa Waters) . Lisa played her as a fairly neutral romantic lead. Very difficult to get right but she was pretty consistent and made the most of her big moment in her solo “Sue me”. She sometimes looked a little awkward and self-conconcious on stage. I think her interpretation would come to life just a bit more if Lisa relaxed and believed that she could succeed in the role because she did most of the time. Confidence will come, I’m sure, as the shows settles in.
Moonface Martin (Simon Openshaw) obviously enjoyed his role. He didn’t really seem that evil and there were some very nice comic moments as when he discovered that his fiddle case really did contain a fiddle and not a gun. He has a good voice and used it to great effect whenever he sang.
Erma (Sophie Johnstone) is a very versatile player. She made the most of her comic moments and always looks entirely at home on the stage, demonstrating considerable skill in both dancing and singing. She is always very supportive of the those against whom she is playing.
An early victim to the sub-plot in the script was Henry T Dobson, played by John Beavis. Once on board the SS American, he was mistaken for a dangerous criminal and summarily arrested, but not before we could understand a little of his character. A small part, well established.
Eric Strange as the captain was not always as relaxed as he might have been and was still finding his way with his character. At the same time, he was fluent and supportive of the story line and his fellow players. Mark Leddin as the purser made good use of his opportunities and looked quite comic although his speech was sometimes a little rushed. Sid Dolbear as bar tender, was a little under projected. These three along with Luke (Ricky Powell) and Jo (Jenny Hasted) gave us a crew who knew what they were doing and got on with it. The only downside of this part of the ensemble was that the uniforms were not really very convincing. They did not fit well and the fabric was too light.
The whole piece is finally solved when Evangeline Harcourt (Annabelle Farrell), fearful of unending poverty because her daughter is marrying Billy instead of the English Lord is proposed to by the wealthy and enthusiastic Elisha Whitney. Sadly, Evangeline’s character was not always consistent and her dialogue became very difficult to follow when she became very excited and used the very upper section of her voice.
Costume, as always was particularly well thought out with the possible exception of the sailors. There was a lot of colour and thoughtful styling and I thought the opening moments of the second half as they all sat in the night club was particularly attractive. The chorus in general were excellent and made an important contribution to the show as a whole.
The set was eye-catching, straightforward and made life quite easy for the actors to move around. The two sets of stairs meant that there was a variety in levels and it left the main stage open to dancing and some simple but effective “staterooms”. The drawing across of the railings quickly converted the scene into a jail and the stage crew were always discreet and precise.
Music was the mainstay of the show and the band gave a full throated performance. It must be said that the music sometimes swamped the singers, but it was lusty and effective.
The director, Jeff Wightwick, the musical director James Marr and the choreographer Christina Harris are to be congratulated in honouring Cole Porter’s show and providing a very good night out. I am just sorry that I shan’t see the show on the last night where it will really sparkle and shine, I’m sure.
One small complaint, my evening was slightly marred by some members of the audience, obviously relations or friends of some of the characters, who laughed so loudly and at every possible turn making it sometimes difficult to follow the dialogue. I’m not sure what you can do about that but I thought I would mention it. I’m sure they were trying to support their friends but it was almost to the detriment of their performances.
Polly.
Anything Goes review http://t.co/NVeU3MViV0