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Annie at The Churchill Theatre
Rating
The ever resourceful West Wickham Operatic Society set the bar practically as high as it will go for amateur companies with their previous productions of The Witches of Eastwick and Titanic.
This time they have settled for the less demanding but always entertaining evergreen musical in which little orphan Annie's unflagging optimism not only inspires all those around her in the America of the Depression but also rewards her with a billionaire for an adoptive father. It's heart-warming stuff and can put a smile on the face of the most determined grumpies!
More than 300 girls turned up for the auditions and this show has a bumper crop of delightfully exuberant orphans. I saw Shannon Bowden in the title role, and what a little star she was, with a real diva confidence and totally assured delivery for her big numbers.
Tracy Prizeman was great fun as the little-girl-hating, man-chasing lush of an orphanage matron Miss Hannigan. And Jonathan French, with shaved head, was spot-on as big businessman Oliver Warbucks, whose heart is melted by the child who spends Christmas with him and stays on to become his daughter.
Director Kevin Gauntlett popped up in the comedy cameo of radio announcer Bert Healy in one of the best scened in the show,with Josie Simpson, Jacqui Morris and Louise Gauntlett as the singing Boyland sisters, and Andrew Moore as the ventriloquist.
Amanda Farrant was an elegant Grace Farrell and Jonathan Faint and Susan Williams were appropriate boo-worthy asthe comic villains. And the audience adored Skye as Sandy the dog.
Find out what happens next when WWOS present thesequel, Annie Warbucks, in the London premiere of the show at the Churchill next May 28 - 31.
Diane Eccleston
Croydon Advertiser
The old adage 'never work with children or animals' was proved wrong with West Wickham Operatic Society's splendid production of Annie at Bromley's Churchill Theatre.
The 1920's comic strip exploits of Litle Orphan Annie were turned into a hugely popular Broadway musical in 1977 by Thomas Meahan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin.
The story is simple:
In Depression era New York, 11-year-old orphan Annie is adopted by the rich billionaire Oliver Warbucks and soon single-handedly solves America's economic problems.
Annie is so far removed from reality, it could almost be a Monty Python spoof. The big dance numbers, whether in Hooverville or the White House, were gloriously camp affairs that teetered on the edge of pastiche withoutever quite succumbing. The parts ofAnnie and her orphans were rotated with Shannon Bowden and Gabriella Bishop sharing the title role.
On the night I saw it, it was Gabriella's turn and she lit the whole theatre up with an electrifying star performance. She was confident, funny and self-assured, with a beautiful singing voice that was better than most of her adult co-performers. Her orphan chums were exceptional too. Their fluid interpretation of Charotte and Danielle Simpson's energetic choreography was entrancing. And each one stayed in character throughout.
Of the principal adult perfromers, Jonathan French was a mesmerising 'Daddy' Warbucks with a deep, rich voice that sounded remarkably like Gene Hakman, hewas every inch the swaggering entrepreneur. Amanda Farrant was his doting secretary Grace with Paul Mount and amusingly droll butler.
As Franklin D Roosevelt, Chris Cahill's accent wasa little too English but he did make a remarkable George W Bush lookalike.. Tracy Prizeman mimicked rather than fully inhabited the character of the tipsey orphanage owner Miss Hannigan, but Jonathan Faint and Susan Wiliams proved great fun as the token villains of the piece, Rooster and lily St Regis.
Directed by Kevin Gauntlett, with strong musical direction by John Hargreaves and his uncredited orchestra, and excellent backdrops by scenic designs, Annie was a near faultless slice of American schmaltz.
Oh, and the dog Skye behaved impeccably.
Mark Campbell
Kentish Times, 8 November 2007
A Well-Paced Show
Annie, is a comfortable family musical based on the premise that a feisty caring child in an orphanage must be able to find a dog and a new father and mother, and the West Wickham production of this musical provided just the right sort of hygge feeling.
Director, KEVIN GAUNTLETT, produced a well-paced show which moved the action on smoothly and was able to incorporate the somewhat large indoor staff at the Warbuck’s establishment almost effortlessly. JOHN HARGREAVES, Musical Director, had schooled the children and even the dreaded ‘Tomorrow’, usually mangled by child performers, was sung well as indeed was the brash ‘It’s a Hard Knock Life’. The orchestra was balanced with the performers both old and young. Choreographers, CHARLOTTE and DANIELLE SIMPSON, moved the large ensemble efficiently in’You Won’t Be an Orphan Long’, however, I was concerned that the hydraulic stage area of the Churchill seemed to be moving up and down quite alarmingly whilst the ensemble executed manoeuvres over it. The children’s number with the traditional brooms and pails, ‘It’s a Hard Knock Life’ was fun and the girls obviously enjoyed themselves dancing it.
Scenic Projects’ set looked good or rather the old Stage Sets scenery looked good - the stencilled logo was unfortunately visible to the audience in the Miss Hannigan’s office scene, and it could have easily been masked. The crew handled the weighty set securely and the scene changes were managed efficiently. The lighting design by IVAN BUCKLE was clear and bright for all the scenes although I would have like a somewhat more atmospheric lighting for the down and outs under the 59th Bridge in ’We’d Like to Thank You’. The sound at the Churchill seemed to have been fixed as all the principals and chorus could be heard. The costumes were sufficiently dowdy for the orphans and in period for the principals. The chorus maids were, however, wearing a motley collection of uniform black dresses and without any petticoats. All costumes, particularly dresses and skirts hang far better when the appropriate petticoats and undergarments are worn and wardrobe supervisors need to be strict about this with cast members. It was also not terribly good to be confronted with a pair of emerald green pants with red stars on them by one of the dancers as she lay on her back doing leg kicks in the air - supposedly she was playing a 1930’s school girl in a gym slip - all female dancers should own a pair of black dance shorts but these were obviously in the wash! Attention to costume detail makes a show that is set in a particular historical period.
Annie, played by SHANNON BOWDEN, at the performance I attended, made a delightful and charming waif grimly determined to keep her orphanage chums in line and also to reap the benefits of an independent spirit. Her ‘Maybe’ number was delivered with poignancy and she worked particularly well with Miss Hannigan. TRACY PRIZEMAN, gave a strong performance as the challenged Miss Hannigan and executed extremely strongly the ‘Little Girls’ number and ‘Easy Street’. The Warbuck’s team of orphans, including ELLEN GAUNTLETT as Duffy, LOTTIE DAVIES as July, RACHEL LEACH as Tessie, CHARLOTTE RAVEN and DAISY MILLS as Kate and Molly respectively and of course AMY GODDEN as Pepper, handled their routines, dialogue and songs like pros.
DAVID HODGSON, Bundles McCloakey, the laundry man and Justice Brandeis, played his two cameo roles obviously quite differently and confidently. JONATHAN FAINT played Rooster Hannigan, as an engaging but thoroughly disreputable thug who would be quite capable of stealing a beggar’s mite whilst his side-kick Lily St. Regis, played flirtatiously by SUSAN WILLIAMS, was a fitting accomplice for his shenanigans. GRAHAM COPELAND, Lt. Ward and CHRIS CAHILL, Officer Dibble were fine upholders of the law and CHRIS CAHILL'S elevation to the Presidency in the guise of FDR was convincing; in fact quite eerily so as he has more than a passing resemblance to the great man.
The main Hoverites, Sophie, the kettle, JOSIE SIMPSON, Fred, STEPHEN CHALLIS, Artie, the apple seller, GARY GRINHAM and A Star, ANITA SINGH played their parts well although at times it was quite difficult to know who was speaking. The chorus number and dance routine ‘We’d like to thank you’ brought to life the deprivations of the era.
JONATHAN FRENCH, complete with bald pate gave a controlled performance as the rather uptight and work/power obsessed, Oliver Warbucks, whilst AMANDA FARRANT, as Grace Farrell his PA, showed that although carrying out his orders she did so with humanity which of course eventually rubbed off on her boss. Warbucks song ‘Why should I change? was performed with just the right amount of surprise and understanding. His household staff, Drake, PAUL MOUNT, Mrs Greer, VICKIE FAINT, Mrs Pugh, ELIZABETH BIRCHENHOUGH, Annette, SARAH WALKER and Cecille, LAURA WHELAN performed their duties and roles confidently commanding as they did such armies of servants.
The Radio station gang led by Bert Healy, played by KEVIN GAUNTLETT in one of his usual cameo appearances, worked well together and the atmosphere of the occasion was quickly brought to life by the numerous pieces of script that were rightly discarded onto the floor. They also cleared them up very efficiently! The White House cabinet presided over President FDR gave a good reprise of’Tomorrow’.
This was a good fairly fast moving production which suited the show and I look forward to its sequel next year.
Chris Williams
NODA, London, 26 November 2007