Previous Productions -
42nd Street

The start of the show for me was a little slow, and it would have worked better I feel with more people moving around on the stage, however this is only a tiny niggle as the rest of the show was a breathtaking rollercoaster of dancing and singing. The cast were enthusiastic in their dancing and the brilliant tap dancing from the company set the scene for the rest of the show. Congratulations to Director Barry Wiles and Choreographer Charlotte McGrane for all their hard work.

SETTING
There was very little scenery as such, pieces being moved on and off to represent scenes, but with a large cast it did not need complicated scenery, it was unfortunate that the back cloth of skyscrapers was wrinkled and at times fluttered in the breeze. The stage crew were noisy in their changes, and there were also a few slow changes, and occasionally they were in light trying to remove scenery, whilst the actors were trying to speak their dialogue, causing the problem of who do you watch?

SOUND
For the most part it was adequate, at times it was slightly tinny, and with radio mics it is essential that they are at the right level so as to sound natural, this was not always the case, however we could at all times hear the actors above the orchestra and during their dialogue.

LIGHTING
The lighting in the” Shadow Waltz” was very effective, and people were always well lit, there was one dark patch however –down stage left, and on occasions the lighting was brought up a little too soon, lighting not only the actors, but the stage crew.

PROPS
These were always in place and looked right for the period

COSTUMES
With so many costumes and changes Tina and her helpers must have been worn out finding the right period outfits, but they achieved the desired effect – well done

MAKE-UP
This was naturally done and in period for the ladies, well done to the many make-up ladies.

CHOREOGRAPHY
Charlotte had obviously worked extremely hard with all the many routines that were needed, and the company repaid all this work with enthusiasm and energy especially in the many tap routines, it must have been difficult trying to recreate Busby Barkley on stage when many of his effects were viewed from above – Congratulations

ORCHESTRA
Congratulations to Matt Ramplin and his orchestra for their excellent playing, we could hear every word that was sung, the levels being perfect. It is always nice to hear a “live” orchestra instead of music by CD!

CAST

JULIAN (Lynden O’Neill)
This was a superb performance, just the right amount of over acting as a director, and with a good strong speaking and singing voice, you brought out the emotion and feelings of the character having to deal with the many setbacks in his production. Lynden reacted well with the other members of the cast, and is a natural actor, this was a performance to be proud of – Congratulations

PEGGY (Liz Westney)
Usually the choreographer, I expect it was a hard decision on your part to take a lead part or choreograph a dream show. However you made the right choice this was an excellent performance. Your portrayal of a small town girl making it big was perfect. Not only can Lizzy dance and act , you have a good strong singing voice, it was always a pleasure to listen to your songs, there was good interaction with the other girls and the just the right hint of a rustic out of town naive girl – Congratulations

BILLY (Alex Weaver)
Alex was the leading man who always fancied the ladies, a smooth talker and he portrayed his part well, with a pleasant singing voice, and a good dancer, this was a natural performance and he interacted well with the other characters, and the way that he moved in on Peggy, as if this was going to be another of his conquests was just right, this was a wolf in sheep’s clothing – well done

DOROTHY (Elisa Wynne-Hughes)
A strong performance and a lovely singing voice, you played the part of the diva to perfection, the scenes between you and Pat were well handled, as with the way you reacted to your sugar daddy, but all the time your heart lay elsewhere, this was a good portrayal – Congratulations

PAT (Mike Ludlow)
Mike has a natural way on stage and has a strong voice, his scenes with Peggy and Dorothy were well handled, there was obvious chemistry between him and Dorothy, , this was an assured performance – well done

MAGGIE (Louise Milne)
Dotty and Ditzy is the best way to describe the part of Maggie, and Louise was all those things as well has having good stage presence, Louise has an excellent singing voice, every time she appeared she lit the stage up with her portrayal, never once going over the top - Congratulations

BERT (Lee Westney)
A good supporting actor, and a naturally relaxed performer, Lee is no stranger to the stage and always reacts well with the other members of the cast, Lee has a good clear voice whether singing or speaking. – well done

ANNIE (Sarah Harvey)
Good strong voice and a natural actress and mover, her portrayal of Annie was perfect, this was another actress who lit up the stage when she appeared, full of enthusiasm and energy, always with a smile on her face - Congratulations

PHYLLIS (Sophie Sturge)
Sophie made the part her own, bringing out the comedy of the character. Sophie has a pleasant singing voice, blending well with the other members of the cast, and interacting well with the other girls. A good dancer, moving well on stage – well done

LORRAINE (Jenny Bryant)
Jenny worked well with the other two girls, a natural performance, working well as part of the team, a pleasant singing voice and moved well in your dancing – well done

ANDY (Andy Heaven)
Andy proved that not only was he an excellent dancer but that he had a good singing voice, he interacted well with the other members of the cast. This was a superb portrayal of the typical choreographer of the period, Andy looked right and was a natural relaxed actor. – Congratulations

OSCAR (David Stevens)
David looked the part of the rehearsal pianist, he moved well on stage always looking relaxed and interacting well with other members of the cast, this was a quiet and reserved performance – well done

ABNER DILLON (Pete Cottell)
Again Pete was given a part which he could have overacted with, but he didn’t and gave us a good portrayal of the perfect “sugar daddy” showing just the right amount of emotion and jealously towards Dorothy when required. Pete is a natural actor who always looked at home on the stage – well done

MAYBEL (Becky Eden)
This was a different character from the last one that Becky played in “Footloose” from a glamorous backing singer to a dowdy Assistant Stage Manager, always at the beck and call but always in charge. A quiet understated performance, good clear diction and Becky moved well interacting well with the other members of the cast – well done

GLADYS (Sally Walton)
Maybe only a small part, but essential, and Sally made her presence felt when she appeared, just the right amount of reaction and timing a relaxed actress who moves well on stage and looked as though she was really enjoying her part – well done

THE CHORUS
Congratulations to the chorus. As always with BAOS the chorus are an integral part of any show and BAOS has an outstanding chorus, full of enthusiasm, bursting with energy and always smiling, everyone was looking as if they were enjoying themselves and all of this is shared with the audience allowing us to feel as though we were part of the show. Excellent dancing, choreographer Charlotte must have had her work cut out having to teach so many people to tap dance and they never let her down, she must have been very proud of the results.

The difficulty facing any company having to try to recreate a film that has been turned into a stage show, especially with this type of film from this period, having to recreate the routines of Busby Barkley is difficult as they need to be seen from above, and with film you can switch easily from scene to scene, on stage it can make a show “bitty”

BAOS took this all in their stride, and with the problems in having to stage a show on a stage that had been changed from a theatre to a concert hall without consultation with other users, could have been devastating. BAOS’ backstage crew must have worked hard to achieve in such a short time, a stage that could be used as a theatre – congratulations.

With all these problems, BAOS produced a superb show, full of enthusiasm and energy, excellent dancing and singing, and most of all a cast that smiles on stage, it was obvious that they were enjoying themselves - congratulations must go to the Director, Choreographer and Musical Director for all their hard work to produce an excellent show. But ultimately it is the cast who are at the forefront, and at the end of each show the cast must have been exhausted, having worked so hard to put into practice the ideas of the director. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole show, I loved the dancing and the songs as did the audience, and they showed it in their response – Congratulations

Thank you for inviting me and for your warm welcome and the hospitality received from your Chairman and the front of house. I look forward to being invited to your next production and hope that any problems with a venue can be solved, it would be a shame to lose another theatre that can be used by amateur groups, amateur theatre is an essential part of our society allowing people to take part in theatre and for the public to see shows that otherwise might be out of their pockets with professional shows being so expensive.

Tony Winstone
NODA Representative – District 13