"Annie Jr" by Arts Theatre Summer School

Nottingham Arts Theatre.

Every year, Nottingham Arts theatre run a three-week Summer School where kids who enjoy singing, dancing and acting attend a week's training. On the fifth day, they perform the show that they have been learning and rehearsing to show parents and family, as well as anyone else who would love to see the show.

What these young people achieve in just five days is incredible. They find out the show they are doing, learn the script, choreography and songs, as well as stage craft and put on a show, something most adults may have trouble with.

"Annie Jr" is the perfect vehicle for this kind of thing, mainly because the age of the characters are close to the actors own age - well apart from the adult roles of course. I've seen "Grease Jr", "Fame Jr" and even "Chicago Jr" and have felt that they don't quite fit into the age range for a junior production, mainly due to the content in the full-blown version of the musicals, and by cutting out some of the scenes from them, felt like chunks of the story were also lost. Not so with "Annie Jr".

Everyone knows the story of the little orphan Annie who is adopted by the richest man in America, Daddy Warbucks, and the conniving scheme to get their hands on the reward money offered by Daddy Warbucks to locate Annie's real parents by Rooster Hannigan, Miss Hannigan and Lily, Rooster's latest squeeze. 

So now let me get to the part I really love......

The Orphans were played by Sophia Rees (Molly), Lorelei Allen-Betts (Tessie), Cait Phelan (Kate), Charlotte Simmonds (July), Heli Lewis (Duffy), Esme Allen-Betts (Salt), Sydney Adams (Pepper), Emily Dexter, Evelyn Hornsby, Juliet Morgan, Rhys Phelan, Tayana Davis-Betani, Sophie Dexter, Jasmine Smalley, Jacob Smalley, Bethan Styles, Annie Lucia and Mowbray Rees. What a brilliant and tight chorus of voices they made.

Annie was played by Caitlin Robinson, who was bursting with confidence, and what a lovely voice she has. I was expecting a voice that was quite twee, but what I got was a really distinctive and quite mature voice which was note perfect.

Neave Kielty (Miss Hannigan) also oozes confidence and another wonderful voice. I could imagine her singing in shows like "Bugsy Malone" or "Bonnie & Clyde".

Neave's brother Billy Kielty shows that the acting talent runs in the family as Rooster, and I loved his shoulder choreography.

Kate Russell looked the part as Rooster's latest moll, Lily.

George Young, who I've seen on stage before so I knew that as Oliver Warbucks, we were in for a reliably good performance, and his vocals have really come on from when I last saw him on stage.

Scarlett Coleman-Smith gave a very mature performance as Grace Ferrell, Warbucks personal secretary.

Daddy Warbucks' staff were played by Harry Smith (Drake), Harriet Campion (Cecile), Eloise Rees (Mrs Greer), Stephanie Booth (Annette) and Caitlin Young (Mrs Pugh).

Arlo Perrons (Bundles McCloskey - the laundry man), Harry Smith (The Apple Seller), Rhys Phelan (Dogcatcher/ President Roosevelt), Se Phelan (Officer Ward/ Bert Healey), Bethan Styles (Sandy - the dog - who must have been sweltering in that costume), Caitlyn Young (the Usherette), Jessica Healey (Mrs Healy), Sophie Benner (the Star To Be), Jacob Smalley (Louis Howe) with various adult roles played by Angel Coles, Arlo Perrons, Caitlin Young, Connie Armstrong, Hermione Cumbers, Jessica Healey, Se Phelan and Sophie Benner.

Produced, Directed and Choreographed by Amy Rogers-Gee, who does an incredible job with these Summer Schools and heads a talented team of Jessica Royce (Musical Director), Daisy Donoghue (Production Assistant), Rowan Arnold (Stage Manager), Esther Coleman-Smith (Costumes).

Something that the kids have to learn is timing, especially when the music is on a backing track, so they have to hit their cues first time, which they all did, and while there were only a few missed sound cues (I was told that there had been issues with the sound desk), the technical side of the show was as good as it gets.

Peter Hodgkinson was the sound man and lighting by Evanne Webster.

As mentioned previously, the performances were very confident, and you could tell that the young actors had really enjoyed the week and the show that they had just performed.

"Annie" is a favourite of mine, it's just a lovely story, and this production proves that in just a short space of time (four and a half days) a quality performance can be achieved with lots of hard work, and love of performing, from both the pupils as well as the teachers.

A wonderfully entertaining start to the weekend.