Annie, SMS - May 2019. NODA review.

What a delight to visit this small but very well equipped theatre. Annie is a very popular show and on this occasion welcomed a full house which is always great.

In the first scene we meet the orphans and this really gave the audience a taste of the quality to come. All the young people performed brilliantly, each with their own characteristics but combining so well in their dialogue and when singing 'It's a hard knock life' which is a difficult song to achieve well. I was particularly impressed with their American accents which they maintained throughout the show. This group of young actors gave life and vibrancy to all their scenes.

The opening scene also gave us our first introduction to Annie, played by Penny Bell. It was a real joy to watch this very young performer take on a challenging role with such professionalism. She managed to maintain the character so well and I loved the cheeky element which emerged alongside the wisdom of the character. This was a quality performance.

Debbie Mansell as Miss Hannigan gave the character the drunken flamboyance needed for the role. She was manipulative, mean and spiteful but always so physical and entertaining. A super portrayal. She was very well complimented by Lewis Miller with his very lively interpretation of Rooster and Katie Hammond as the ditzy Lily St Regis. Their transformation to Mr and Mrs Mudge was particularly impressive. These three characters worked so well together and entertained the audience with some great comedy moments.

Chris Lowe gave us a very charming interpretation of Oliver Warbucks. His growing relationship with Annie was very sensitively portrayed. His musicality was delightful. He was well matched by Kate Davey as Grace Farrell who very ably conveyed the contrasting sides of this character which are often lost. The growing attraction between the pair was very subtly done. Their easy manner fully demonstrated their wealth and position which was a great contrast to the poverty of the time shown in other scenes.

Roger Hearne's depiction of Roosevelt was very well done. He showed a real warmth and coped really well when jumped on by Miss Hannigan!!

The chorus numbers were a strength of the show with good musicality combined with strong characterisation. This was first demonstrated in 'Hooverville' and continued throughout. The scenes in the Warbucks mansion worked very well. There was so many small cameos throughout the show which were a delight. I particularly enjoyed the radio scene with Barry Bridges as Bert Healey and the amazing Boylan sisters. Another favourite was in the Cabinet office which began so quietly and then really exploded. And I can still see Rachael Lowe on those roller blades. I have to mention the delightful Kenny(Sandy) the dog. What a lively but well trained member of the cast.

The musical backing directed by Susannah Edom was innovative. The use of two keyboards with very different roles supported by percussion gave a real depth to the score. The conducting support for the singers was generally unobtrusive.

The back stage team led by Stage Manager, Clive Clark, worked well. The scenery was simple but effective and changes were swift and did not interrupt the flow of the piece. This is difficult to achieve with a small stage. Sound quality was very good and the lighting was always complimentary but it is not always necessary to dim the lights for scene changes .

Congratulations to Val Massey and Gwen Porter on a very period appropriate costume set. The outfits, particularly in the mansion, were very effective and highlighted again the class differences.

Director Nikki Mundell-Poole and Assistant Director Angie Porter must be congratulated for creating such a lively and fast paced production which was really enjoyed by the audience.