FAME

Danbury Players

10.06.11

Even in the early 80s, no-one really believed that Fame would make you immortal, but there's an endearing optimism about the kids who're “going to live forever” in the film and its franchise, which includes tv, reality shows and this musical.

Choosing Fame for your first venture onto the musical stage shows a deal of optimism too, not to mention chutzpah and lack of fear.

I thought the most impressive thing about Trevor Hammond's ambitious production was the brilliant ten-piece band, led by MD James Tovey. So much so that the kids often struggled to compete, not helped by unsophisticated sound re-inforcement.

The lighting, too, was downright bizarre, almost all from below and the back of the hall.

Some performances shone through, though, including the street-dance boy in the chorus [Samuel Gower?], Louise Haines' Mabel, with her Gospel Weight Loss number, Andy Prideaux's violin prodigy, and Jamie Haines' insufferable Tyrone, “Dancing on the Sidewalk” his finest hour.

Molly Blackmore handled her numbers well, as did Katherine McKeon, striking as the tragic Carmen. Edward Barber, not ideally cast as extrovert Hispanic Joe Vegas, made the most of his opportunities, and I sympathised with irascible music teacher Ben Allen.

Because this very bizarre show – a great success in the West End, I know - is ultimately very depressing, imagining as it does a High School for Performing Arts where the “cream of the crop” have bags of attitude but almost no discipline, where “hating Shakespeare” is no bar to being in the Acting Class, a Sonata can only be improved by adding clichéd lyrics, being gifted in street dance means you have nothing more to learn, and dyslexia can go undiagnosed for years.

I hope it won't be the last musical at Danbury – the enthusiasm and energy on show here deserves to go from strength to strength. But, if you choose another made in the USA, you've got to go for the accents. You've got to stop people wandering aimlessly during their solos. And you've got to say No to people, however keen, who can't hold a tune at all.

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

Danbury Players

19.12.10

Keeping the panto flag flying through the snow and ice, Danbury Players with their Jack and the Beanstalk, directed by James Tovey, who was also the imaginative MD.

Not a bad recipe: a fairy tale, some classic show tunes, and in the line-up a mix of experience and youthful enthusiasm.

Stuart Charlesworth donned the dame's dress this year – a genial, if fidgety, Dotty Trott, working up a good rapport with his audience. Only the one dress – times are hard in Merrydown – but a colourful one. His offspring – that wooden doll make-up must be genetic – were played by Stephanie Wright [a proper, thigh-slapping principal boy] as Idle Jack, Georgia Westley as Jill, and Jamie Haines working hard as Silly “Who touched my helmet?” Billy.

Among the more experienced thesps, a boo-able Jean Speller, Annette Michaels as Miss Muffet [yes, there was a splendid spider] and Iris Hill as a flustered fairy in a meringue frock.

A high-tech giant, Gigi, South Pacific and Life of Brian. A bemused dog in the back of the audience, along with Keith and Alan from the Ukulele Club. And as we left, the whole cast lined our exit to sing us out with We Wish You A Merry Christmas. My colleague Jim Hutchon and I would happily sing along with that …

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

Danbury Players

19.12.09

Swarms of bees, gangs of zombie bears – it was no picnic in the woods today.

Danbury Players unusual panto did respect some of the time-honoured traditions: Pauline Chaplin's Tomtom [the Piper's son] was a cross-dressing thigh-slapper, who sang the obligatory love duet with Goldilocks [Megan Cutts]. There was an elimination number, a competitive singalong, and plenty of boos and behind you!s. Annette Michaels had considerable presence as the Dame, with Stuart Charlesworth trying hard as her dim son Ray.

Less predictably, we had a failed philosopher lumberjack [who managed to chop all the irony out of the Python anthem], a “mean and vicious” Queen Bee baddie [nicely done by Jean Speller] and some very snappy dance routines from Bam Bam Boogies.

Tyro directors Trevor Hammond and Debbi Flack included plenty of bear puns, honey humour and lumber jokes. The music, including some cleverly adapted hits, was directed by James Tovey.

After the walk-down and the curtain calls, the whole company joined in “Merry Christmas Everyone” – a sentiment that Jim Hutchon and I would happily echo.

If I might make one or two stage-craft suggestions for next year, it would be to encourage actors to stand still rather than shuffle, to have fewer scene changes, and music to cover them, and to make the dialogue as short as the songs.