“Whistle Down The Wind” LEOS
May Hall, Long Eaton.

Long Eaton Operatic Society present the wonderful “Whistle Down The Wind”; the musical written by Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Jim Steinman, and you can really see the influences both had in these songs.

The musical is based on the Mary Hayley Bell's novel and 1961 Bryan Forbes film and set in the Louisiana bible belt of the late 1950’s.

Three children, Swallow, Brat and Poor Baby are struggling with the loss of their mother and as Christmas approaches, the children are desperate to find something to hold on to and believe in.

One day, they find a stranger injured and hiding in their run-down barn. Unknown to them, the Man is probably an escaped convict, but Swallow seizes on the idea that he is Jesus and, along with the other children in the town, they vow to protect him.

Meanwhile, the townsfolk are on the lookout for a runaway convict, and are urged by their Sheriff to stay vigilant. When they discover where the stranger is hiding, the residents all descend on the farm. As fantasy and reality collide, Swallow is torn between the two and begins to discover who she is and where she is going.

Is he Jesus, or an escaped convict? It’s never revealed and leaves the audience to make their own mind up.

Eleanor Carty plays Swallow, and what a very strong role this has turned out to be for her. Her voice has really matured since I last saw and heard her,a s to has her acting.

Lilly Simons-Clark plays Brat, and once more we discover what a promising strong young actor and vocalist is coming through the ranks of LEOS.

Jude Yellop plays Poor Baby. Again such a strong and confident performance from such a young actor.

Adam Daniels plays The Man. This I am sure is the first time that I have seen Adam on stage and I was suitably impressed with both his acting and his voice. there were a couple of shaky moments in "Nature Of the Beast" which I thought he had trouble with getting the higher notes, but his tenor voice was strong and clear.

Motor bike riding Amos is played by Jack Draper, and there’s even a real motor bike on stage,Jack is one of those actors who has natural stage presence and his young rebel part in this play suited him down to the ground. As with Adam though I felt that the higher, falsetto moments in "A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste" didn't quite come off for him, but this soundtrack isn't the easiest to master.

Candy, Amos' friend who he was going to ride off into the sunset with, but didn't, is played by Katie McDonald. Loved the harder outer image which really softened in the later stages of the play. A convincing young actor.

Martin Mould plays the kids' Father, Boone. Always a safe bet with Martin in any production and his vocals in "It just Doesn't Get Any Better", just couldn't get any better. Real emotion as Boone remembered his late wife and the children's mother.

Lots of local theatre regulars in this cast as well. Rob Holsman as Edward, Jack Woolley as Earl, Kheenan Jones as the Preacher at the start and Louise Watkins as the Snake Preacher, and plenty of others in the ensemble.

A large cast consisting of both young and not so young cast members, all complimenting the other age range and accurately depicting a Southern Louisiana community town.

Long Eaton Operatic Society have really pushed the bar with this production, not only with the amazing set they have, but they also include real snakes. They could have made use of puppets but no, actual snakes make an appearance.

The set was one of the best that I have seen , and even better than the professional tour of "Whistle Down the Wind" from a few years ago. it has to be seen to appreciate the magnitude and detail that has gone into it. Scenic Projects have added to the pleasure of this musical no end.

Directed and Produced by Kathryn McAuley, and to say that this is her debut as a director she did amazingly. Such a smooth running piece of theatre. Of course this was also helped along by the help of the hard working stage manager, John Woolley and his incredible stage crew.

Laurie Trott is in charge of the choreography and again, a brilliant job she has done with this large cast.

Great costumes, hair and make up topped off the whole feel of the era and location.

Also loved the lighting and the effects by Tom Olding which created such an atmosphere, especially in Act Two.

Musical director is Tom Watkins and leads a fifteen piece orchestra which really brings out the lush arrangements of Lloyd-Webber and the excitement of Steinman. a beautiful clear sound.

The soundtrack is possibly one of Lloyd-Webber’s most under-rated, with songs that have made it to the pop charts, most notably “No Matter What”, which was a hit for Boyzone and the title track which crept into the lower reaches of the charts by Tina Arena. These aside there are several other pieces which are classic musical theatre with some complex arrangements.

My only bug bear is with something that LEOS and other theatre companies have no control over and that is the sound in the theatre. i don't know what it is but I've never really heard a perfect sound from this place. It may just be the acoustics of the place or it may just need a new sound system. the live orchestra though were crystal clear, so i think it may just be the sound system itself. I knew that this would be the only, very tiny fly in the ointment, because the rest was a massive success for everyone involved.

“Whistle Down The Wind” is at May Hall, Trent College Long Eaton until Saturday 14 April 2018.