Music Hall meets Vaudeville Review
Reviewed by Amanda Jackson - Hawkes Bay Today
CENTRE STAGE: The melodrama, including from left, Katrina Alexander, Tony
Snell and Lucy Cresswell, set the auditorium alight. Picture: PAUL TAYLOR
Tabard Restaurant Theatre
12- 18 November
It's all very clever. One minute
you're chatting and enjoying the
final tastes of the roast beef and
Yorkshire pudding and next
minute the noise level swells a
little, the sounds of music fill the
edges and you are engulfed in a
wonderful chorus of alehouse
energy. The show has begun.
Director Wendy Revell has
devised a programme which
represents a blend of styles from
France, Great Britain and
America.
It is a joyous, colourful slick
piece of theatre _ a complete
package of entertainment.
It has a splendid wardrobe of
gorgeous costumes by a talented
team of Pam Christensen's and Ngaire Boyce's seamstresses and
fabulous choreography by Diana
Shand that has flair and interest,
humour and cheek, for every item.
There is a lovely, warm sound
from the voices and orchestra,
with the tinkling fingers of Joanna
Stevens, all breathing new life and
arrangements into old songs.
The ensemble is absolutely
fantastic. Their staging, move
ment, dancing and vitality are
uplifting. They look and sound so
good one could see them on any
professional stage in the world.
The working and static sets are
also little masterpieces in
themselves, designed by Marc
Collier and a chip off the old block,
with their quirkiness, their
tongue-in-cheek humour and, on
occasions, their nostalgic
ambience, all coming together in
lovely combinations.
Stan Simmonds is chairman
and he is lovely too, slipping from script to impromptu and back with
the ease of a master.
John Spencer, veteran of many
musicals in recent years, assists
him and has some of the solo
numbers which he ably performs,
as do a list of prestigious special
guests, all very well done and
adding to the variety. But it really
is the ensemble that is the star of
the show.
Another essential ingredient to
the traditional line-up of
Vaudeville and Music Hall is the
audience responses, and a guest
appearance of an animal inspired
oooohs and aaaaahs, and a small
play with villain, hero and
damsels really set the auditorium
alight.
All the boxes are ticked for a
wonderful show that sets the
rafters ringing and will surely lift
the spirits as we launch into the
silly season.
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