MASQUERADE

Tomorrow's Talent at the Civic Theatre

19.06.10

Masquerade, this year's title song, in stylish black and white, introduced the amazing achievements of Tomorrow's Talent.

There was more Phantom from Tara Divina, a beautifully delivered Think of Me. Six of the senior girls draped themselves on Cabaret chairs to sing the Cell Block Tango from Chicago: strong stuff, though the punch lines could have been subtler, perhaps.

Not surprising to see Fame and High School Musical up there – a nicely done sequence including Pray, Hard Work and Stick to the Status Quo, but this kind of showcase can produce some strange bedfellows. So Lady Gaga's Telephone led into a random scene from Lord of the Flies [convincing performances from Jack Martyn, Jamie Papworth, Greg Bennett and George Horscraft], and then into Popular, from Wicked, impeccably sung and acted by this year's West End guest, Julie Atherton.

After the interval, hippy favourites. Frank Mills [Hair] sung with touching naivety by Laura Messin, who straightaway slotted into the chorus for Rhythm of Life. There was pure dance, like the energetic Work, and several sketches, of which the best was a painfully well observed pair of disruptive school-girls – Deanna Byron and Hazel Ellender. Amusing glimpses of the wings, too: a trio of obsessive ballerinas [Laura Baylis, Catherine Hale and Bethany Smith] – only the Marlboros missing – and five whingeing luvvies [Alex Houlton, Josh Butcher, Mark Ellis, Ana Dillie and Maisie Allen], with a guest appearance from director Gavin Wilkinson.

He also conducted the juniors for some of their numbers; I felt their finest hour was the Willy Wonka sequence, with some very promising narrators and confident holders of the Golden Ticket.

Incredible to see the Civic stage crammed with all these enthusiastic and extrovert youngsters for the final number – Michael Jackson's Wanna Be Starting Something.


show picture by Erika Patterson, video from an early rehearsal