Setting sail for a tale of high jinks on the sea
IT WAS all aboard the SS American sailing from New York to England for Act One Youth Theatre’s first production of the year taking on Cole Porter’s ever popular high jinks musical Anything Goes.
Boarding the luxury liner were an eclectic assortment of passengers including evangelist turned singer Reno Sweeney accompanied by her four ‘angels,’ an engaged couple Sir Evelyn Oakley and Hope Harcourt with her overbearing mother, American Elisha Whitney plus his PA Billy Crocker also a Bishop and a gangster called Moonface.
After setting sail the plotline or lack of it becomes transparent as we learn that Hope and Billy were involved in an earlier romantic tryst, Reno yearns for Billy but settles for Sir Evelyn, throw in the usual misidentifications and disguises, a couple of Chinese converts (don’t ask) and gradually the tale continues to a predictable and to what seemed a totally abrupt end!
Anything Goes has undergone many changes since its inception in 1934 and director Adrian Dobson has based his production on the 1960 version of the musical adding a few different songs including ‘Take Me back to Manhatten’ but retained the popular and well known favourites such as ‘It’s Delovely’ ‘ You’re the Top’ and the lively ‘Anything Goes.’
This is an ambitious show for any musical company youth or adult to undertake and Act One did succeed in bringing a youthful freshness to their production despite the pace of the early scenes being a little slow and tentative, however the musical numbers made up for occasional first night nerves but picked up as the confidence set in and it was sailing full steam ahead by the second act.
The performances from the leading members of the cast were convincing, Olivia Needham as Reno displayed her strong vocals in delivering an all round performance and Oliver Halford as Billy proved he could easily veer into various characters his Chinese disguise was decidedly the most hilarious.
Isobel Morris was a sweet and demure Hope but the comic accolade must be awarded to Alex Leeson as Sir Oliver Oakley maintaining his upper crust character throughout also proving he could actually sing - certainly one to watch in the future!
As always the remainder of the talented 29-strong cast gave excellent support and obvious credits must be given to the superb orchestra directed by Hazel Needham and Wendy Spencer for her energetic choreography. It wasn’t all plain sailing en voyage but with their infectious enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment palpable, Act One ensured that their latest production docked on a smooth note.