National Operatic & Dramatic Association
Sweet Charity Review
THE PRODUCTION
Later in this review I refer to your excellent program.
The “Sweet Charity” notes included were so very comprehensive
that there is nothing I can write about the show that you haven’t
already said.
Both the conception by JEFF EALES and the creation
by JONATHAN YORK were excellent. The view on entering the auditorium
was a mixture of comparative simplicity but giving a great impact.
It showed a creative imagination and subsequent changes maintained
this standard. The elevator staging was ingenious and very effective.
The Swan has great lighting facilities
and JONATHAN YORK took advantage of this and generally lit his
own set very well. At the very beginning the lighting levels
were interesting but did they set the right atmosphere for what
was to follow? Most lighting was great but I was puzzled by the
unnecessary stage wash during Oscar’s solo. Overall this
was a well-crafted and intelligent lighting-plot, which contributed
considerably to the show.
JANE HARRISON and her team had done a brilliant
job, along with LUCY FRANCIS’ hairdressing and the perfect
choice and dressing of wigs by KAREN SYMONS and MARGOT BARNARD.
Scene 7 at the Fandango Ballroom was particularly well costumed,
especially the ladies. The team created a wonderful kaleidoscope
of colour, movement and visual pleasure.
If anyone asks you “what did you play in Sweet Charity”?
don’t you dare say, “I was only in the chorus”.
The principles were able to rely on your tremendous support and
could be rightly confident that, behind them was a committed, enthusiastic
and hard-working team whose concentration never faltered. It is
impossible to mention everyone by name, but this paragraph applies
to you no matter how small your role. Your contribution to the
success of this production was hugely important and everyone took
that responsibility seriously.
Not only shares Charity Valentine’s name but also showed
tremendous ability to play the part beautifully. Firstly she looked
great with a fine speaking and singing voice. She was able to go
from “tart” to demure and back again so smoothly. “Sweet
Charity’s” script plays down Fellini’s prostitute
characterization of the part but Jessica was able to unobstrusively
bring it back in the scene with Vittorio but softened it with humour.
Her movements, body language and expressions were just right
and she sustained a great accent.
On occasions we lost both some spoken and sung words due to her
volume dropping and the pace increasing but this was mostly a performance
of strength and power.
Jessica’s acting ability was apparent
throughout but never more than her final scene with Oscar when
she was superb.
Not for one moment did her character slip and she made this mammoth
part very much her own. With a smile as radiant as her performance,
the audience applause and the bouquet were well deserved.
JEFF EALES sat just in front of me in the
circle. This showed a certain confidence rather than pacing up
and down somewhere with a large glass of something. And this
confidence was entirely justified. This was a tightly controlled
production with great subtle touches adding to the overall staging.
An example of the control was the policeman in the lake scene.
He appeared on spot on time, moved perfectly into position and
grabbed the arm with total accuracy making a difficult move look
easy. This slickness only comes with thorough rehearsal. The
staging of “Big Spender” was
a credit to Jeff and his choreographer. (More later) The scene
on the ottoman in Vittorio’s apartment was a bit messy and
although “Something Better Than This” was well done
some of the movements seemed a bit contrived. The lift scene was
excellent and the simulation of the subway train was probably more
difficult than it looked and was wonderfully effective. The final
scene was very well done and the final curtain brilliantly staged.
My notes say “Enthusiasm and enjoyment on both sides of the
footlights” Many congratulations.
Helene and Nicky played by JENNY DEWAR
and EMMA SOUTHORN were not only perfectly cast as individuals
but also made a great team whose partnership created a superb
synergism. Their worldy-wise perception of Charity’s naivette” and their banter
and repartee was pure Brooklyn. The “Dream Your Dream” duet
was very well sung although now and again a few words were lost.
They had a great balance between them and a great musical arrangement
added up to a delightful song.
In my review earlier this year, I asked
how MARK BOLKONSKY had time for a “day-job”. Not
only is the ubiquitous Mark a busy performer, he dosen’t
go for the easy route but takes demanding roles.
This is probably due to his considerable
talent, which was apparent throughout the evening in a first
class performance. “I Love
To Cry At Weddings” was especially good.
Ursula played by ELLA-LOUISE KAY was a
great portrayal of a gangster’s
moll. Ella-Louise looked good with a great accent and played the
part of the dumb blonde to perfection.
Vittorio Vidal played by ANTONIS PETROU-AMERICANOS.
Antonis had a good grasp of the character and brought great humour
to the role. His singing voice was not quite uo to it for “Too Many Tomorrows” Although
not helped by the music/voice mix and volume being out of balance
he was off key for a large part of the time.
From his first entrance, then in the elevator and throughout,
ANTHONY HARRISON gave a great acting performance with an intelligent
interpretation of the role. He was able to move from humour to
affection, to embarrassment and his final scene with Charity was
played with a wonderful mix of pathos, indecision, determination
and sorrow.
“The Rhythm Of Life” was initially disappointing
and lacked “oomph” but when the pace picked up it did
improve. Really familiar numbers need twice as much work to avoid
comparisons.
MATT FOWLER’S debut as a choreographer was a triumph. My
notes say “great dancing” or a variation of the word “brilliant” fifteen
times. There were courageous routines, flamboyant routines, imaginative
and varied routines; and they all worked. Scenes that stood out
were “Big Spender” “Rich Mans Frug” (especially
the domino fall) “Theres Got To Be Something Better Than
This” and “Rhythm Of Life” when it got going.
The freeze at the end was brilliant. “I’m A Brass Band” was
very good and during “I Love To Cry At Weddings” the
routines by the five leading dancers were great. Matt is able the
communicate his personal dancing skills to others and bring out
the best in them.
PETER HOLT has assembled a highly talented
and hard working orchestra. From the splendid overture onwards,
the musicians proved that there is nothing to beat live music.
He start of Act Two was especially good and the arrangement for
Nicky and Helene’s duet was
perfectly done. The balance was briefly lost when Charity was drowned
during “Where Am I Going” and the male voices were
lost in “Im A Brass Band”. For “I Love To Cry
At Weddings” the balance, voices and harmonies were superb.
I just noticed your program describes the
musicians as a “band” but
I suggest “orchestra” describes them far better.
CHRIS DAVIS and all his team did a great
job. Only once did the scene change seem over long, during the
creation of Vittorio’s
apartment, but for the rest the changes were smoothly, quickly
and efficiently done. The show started on time and the interval
was only marginally above twenty minutes.
MELISSA EALES and her colleagues were great. My welcome was warm
and Melissa was so very helpful during the interval, answering
my many questions even though she probably had dozens of things
to do. The audience will have felt very comfortable with the atmosphere
you created.
It is not always that I allocate a separate
section for this but there are program’s and program’s;
yours was excellent. MARK THORBURN and JOHN GOOD HOLBROOK had
created a professional, informative, attractive and well designed
32 pages. The size itself is ambitious but there was not a single
wasted page and the meticulous attention to each section deserves
high praise.
In your program you made the point that
in March 2003 “The
New Penny Theatre Company” was non-existent and Melissa kindly
told me the story of how you became very much existent. After our
conversation and reading through the program, it is obvious that
the workload necessary to progress thus far in such a short time
must have been tremendous, even leaving the production activity
to one side.
I read in the credits, the acknowledgements, details of future
productions, the advertisements, (which someone had to sell) the
Sponsors (who someone had to find), the forward planning and the
allocation of different roles for this production and future responsibilities.
One can only guess at the number of hours and the level of commitment
the group has given.
Keep up the momentum. You have made a great start and South Bucks
and your chosen charities are the richer for your creation.
Thank you for inviting me and I hope to
be invited back. “Break
A Leg” with “A Chorus Of Disapproval”.
John C. Draper
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