"The Wizard Of Oz: Youth Edition" by Intermediate Musical Theatre Company

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

We all know the story of the young girl, Dorothy Gale who lives on a farm in Kansas with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry and little dog, Toto. It tells the story of how a tornado sweeps her, her home and Toto to a magical land called Oz, how she manages to eradicate the Munchkins from the Wicked Witch of The East by flattening her when the house lands on her.

On the way to meeting the Wizard, so she can get back home to Kansas she meets, and helps The Tinman, Scarecrow and The Cowardly Lion while the quartet have a few adventures on their way.

The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition is an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, specially tailored for younger performers. The Intermediate Musical Theatre Company is part of the Kristian Thomas Company roster of talented actors, singers and dancers.

Any time I watch "The Wizard Of Oz", it always takes me back to when I was a kid and the film on TV; my parents always watched it, and that could be the reason why I love this musical, and musicals per se. Plus, it takes me back to those happy days of having my parents around and simpler days.

Just lately I have had the absolute pleasure of seeing some brilliant Youth Group/High School editions of musicals, and they always leave me flabbergasted as to the talent these younger groups have. This group are equally as amazing and talented.

With this particular musical, characterisation is everything and every one of these young actors completely nailed the characters they played.

Dorothy is played by Millie Denney. Squint, and it could almost be Judy Garland on stage. No one will ever match Garland's vocals, but tonight it wasn't Judy garland singing, it was Millie who had to take on the mammoth task of singing the iconic "Over The Rainbow" and she did a brilliant job, and there were hardly any scenes that Millie was not in, showing just how hard working Millie is.

The Scarecrow/Hickory is played by Kodie Foxon, who I remember being in Kristian Thomas Company's production of "Annie Jr" last year, and he has grown. Kodie has grown in every way; not only is he taller but his singing, acting and dancing skills have also grown. I remember last year asking who Kodie was as he stuck out from the ensemble for me, and I am so pleased that in this production he was cast as one of the comic characters because Kodie seems to have a natural talent for comedy. At such a young age, that is something that will take him far in the theatre.

The Tin Man/Hunk is played by Carly Hodgkins. This is a role that requires good physicality as it requires the actor to move in a stilted way, and Carly smashed the physicality of The Tin Man.

The Cowardly Lion/Zeke is played by Grace Hindle, and like The Scarecrow is a fine comedy role which also combines the need to be physical. You can tell that all of these actors have worked so hard to nail the character of the roles that they play, and I had so much fun watching Grace play the lion who didn't have any courage, and I loved her rendition of "If I Were The King Of The Forest".

The Professor/The Wizard is played by Alfie Bridges. Another wonderful character piece with both roles, but it's that role as The Wizard that showcases Alfie's dancing skills. 

Wicked Witch/Miss Gulch is played by Isla Baskill-Conroy. The make up for the Wicked Witch is brilliant because it's that make up, as well as the brilliant costume that allows Isla to deliver a wonderfully evil performance, and was quite scary. To compliment the make up and hair department also for the Miss Gulch role because they made Isla look a lot older than she is, but it's Isla who breaths life into both characters. Isla also has a really strong singing voice and her version of "No Bad News" is one of my favourite musical numbers from this production.

Glinda The Good Witch is played by Olivia Bonham, whose theatrical and singing credentials I know very well. There was an invisible aura surrounding Olivia tonight because she has a certain sereneness in her version of Glinda; she made you feel that everything was going to be alright with Dorothy; a lovely mature presentation of this character. Needless to say, her vocals are always spot on, especially with "Already Home", one of the new songs that appear in the updated version of the musical, written by Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber.

Aunt Em is played by Sophia Ireland, and even though this is a role that is seen at the start and the end of the musical, Sophia ensured that her role was significant and memorable.

Uncle Henry is played by Finlay Lewis, and like Aunt Em, is not a major role in the Youth Edition, but Finlay did a cracking job in this part. Minor parts doesn't mean a minor role in any musical though because the actors who play these parts always spend more time on stage in the ensemble, so in some ways work just as hard, sometime even more, as the major characters.

Toto is brought to life thanks to Izzy Hollis and operated by Effie Lennon Ballard. Once you get used to Toto being a puppet, and not a real dog, you half forget the puppet master, and I say half forget because Effie follows the same choreography as Dorothy and the others, and that is one thing that you can't make a real dog do, well not without months of training, so Effie shows the positives of having a puppet character on stage.

An excellent ensemble who played every other character from crows to trees to Munchkins. The multi talented ensemble are Alfie Bridges, Autumn Quach, Alana Broderick, Bailey Duffy, Beatrice Bridges, Bella Radford, Chloe Hale, Darcey Green-Wright, Diya Cheema, Emma Finnigan, Finlay Lewis, Frazer Brown, Grace Bills, Henry Ferdinando, Imogen Ridgway, Imogen Satherley, Isla Farrell, Jake Bavin, Josie Brennan, Lillyana Benselin, Lucia Durie, Nancy Fox, Olivia Richardson-Purdy, Sophia Ireland and Scarlett Tabberer.

Directed and Produced by Katie Lawson, assisted by Alysha Gomes and they really kept this show tight and looks as if between them, they had great success bringing out the personalities of the characters through these actors. There are some brilliant costumes which have also been sourced by Katie and the Kristian Thomas Company.

Choreographed by Becky Wrench. One of the reasons why this show is such a success is the choreography. I absolutely loved the "Jitterbug" section; it's so much fun and has such an energy about it, and that's down to the work that the actors and Becky have invested in these scenes. The "No Bad News", "Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead" and "The Merry Old Land Of Oz" are also favourites choreographically as big numbers, and then there's also the classic short dance sections for Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man and The Cowardly Lion are really well performed.

Musical Director is Sam Hedley and again this is another area where some great work has been put in. there are some really strong and controlled performances in this production, and that is partly due to Sam working with this cast. The final version of "Over The Rainbow" from all the cast is powerful and quite emotional due to the beauty of the song, the words and of course the vocal talents of this cast.

Sound is by Dave Dallard, and a nice balance between the singers and the backing music creating a comfortable aural experience.

The lighting design is by Stephen Greatorex. A very colourful design with plenty of greens and reds to highlight specific scenes and characters, creating an exciting visual treat.

Creating even more visual excitement with projections by Kristian Cunningham really moved the story on nicely, especially with the storm and then the transformation back from Munchkin Land to Kansas.

The Kristian Thomas Company have such a massive reputation for quality and this show is further proof of the level of quality that this company deliver and provide to their students.

"The Wizard Of Oz - Youth Edition" is at The Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 1 June with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm

 "Rent" by Jonathan Larson.

Encore Performing Arts.

May Hall, Trent College, Long Eaton.

I've seen "Rent" performed several times in the past, but this production has several touches that set the production apart. To start with, there's a four minute countdown to the opening with the promotional video of the Pet Shop Boys "New York City Boy". Some of the other personal touches involve the staging of this musical, bringing a fresh feel to what is already an impactful piece of theatre.

Set in the East Village of New York City, "Rent" is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, “Rent” has become a pop cultural phenomenon. with songs that rock and a story that audiences of all ages can connect with.

Based loosely on Puccini's “La Boheme”, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble.

Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for financial gains, forgetting the bond with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. The way these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this musical.

Roger is played by Robert Stott-Marshall. Roger is a once successful, now struggling musician who discovered he had HIV/AIDS in a note his girlfriend left him before she took her own life. His main goal in life is to write one great song before he dies, but he has not been able to play his guitar in a year, fearing that he has lost his creative energy. He falls in love with Mimi but is too afraid to commit to her, knowing that she also is infected with HIV/AIDS. He is also the roommate and best friend of Mark.

Robert missed out on being in "Tick Tick Boom" for Encore last year, due to ill health, well on the performance I attended, so it's right that he should play Roger in this show. It goes without saying that this is the kind of musical where every actor has to have a good voice, and they have. Rob's voice is a mix between rock and blues, occasionally letting that guttural growl creep into his voice. I've seen some performances in the past where Roger, or the actor playing Roger can't actually play the guitar, and that's fine, but Rob can play, and that brings even more reality to the character. There's a lot of soul and emotion with Rob's voice, especially in "One Song Glory".

Mark is played by a Paolo Elias, an actor I've followed from his university acting days. Mark is an aspiring filmmaker who narrates the show as he films the lives of his friends. Mark never leaves home without a camera. He is Roger's best friend and caregiver, and he was once Maureen’s boyfriend (who left him for Joanne). Paolo is one of those actors who slips into a character as easy as we slip on a coat. 

Tom Collins is played by Joseph Straw, another actor I know from his university days of Musicality. Tom is a gay computer genius, teacher, and anarchist. In the opening scene he is mugged, reflecting the harsh reality of the world in which the characters live. He is brave enough to allow himself to fall in love with Angel, knowing that since both of them are infected with HIV/AIDS, their relationship will not have much of a future. Tom and Angel’s relationship is the heart of the show, as the genuine love and devotion they have for one another brings hope and inspiration to the entire group. They show the world how to truly live life and not be afraid.

Charlie Greene, yet another former Musicality star of the University of Nottingham, plays Angel, a young drag queen and street percussionist. Angel meets and falls in love with Collins. He has HIV/ AIDS. As a person, Angel is the most generous and selfless character in the show. Angel hands out money to the neighborhood while dressed in Santa drag. Though he has HIV/AIDS, he embraces life and lives it to its fullest. People are naturally drawn to him, and his smile lights up the room. He inspires everyone to live each day to the fullest.

Charlie and Joseph create a very believable chemistry with Tom and Angel, which makes the scenes in the second act emotive and heartfelt. When the two characters duet on "I'll Cover You" you really feel that connection, and Charlie's solo version of the same song in Act Two switches from joy to heartache.

Mimi Marquez is played by Evie Mace. Mimi Marquez works in a strip club and struggles with her addiction to heroin, which has resulted in her contraction of HIV/AIDS. She falls in love with Roger, who is unable to commit to a relationship with her. She is also Benny's ex‐girlfriend. She is extremely sexy, optimistic, and likeable but with dark secrets. Though Mimi has” lived a lot of life,” she still sees the world through the eyes of a young woman. She intends to make the most of every day, as she earnestly expresses in the song “No Day but Today.” Listen out as well for one of several gorgeous duets in this show; "Without You" is sung by Roger and Mimi.

Maureen Johnson is played by Meghan Borg. Maureen is a bisexual performing artist and Mark's ex‐girlfriend. She left Mark to be with her new girlfriend, Joanne. She is sexy, flirtatious, sassy, and funny, all bore out in the song "Tango Maureen". She is bold and speaks her mind, and she is not afraid to take on the establishment and fight for what she believes in. The University of Nottingham's Musicality is such a rich source for talent, and Meghan is yet another from that very talented stable of theatre people.

Joanne is played by Natalie Webster on Wednesday night. Joanne Jefferson is a gay Ivy League educated lawyer and activist. She struggles to not be jealous of Maureen’s flirtatious nature with others. One of my favourite musical theatre duets is "Take Me Or Leave Me" which was performed absolutely perfectly by Meghan and Natalie.

Jake Gelernter plays Benny Coffin III, to give him his full title. Benny used to be Mark and Roger’s roommate, but he married into a rich family involved with real estate, and he is now their landlord. He had been letting Roger and Mark live in the apartment for free, but he is now forcing them to pay rent or be evicted. Roger and Mark consider him a yuppie sell-out. He also had an affair with Mimi before she started to date Roger. While in the beginning he is caught up in the lifestyle of wealth and affluence, he ultimately realizes his friends are more important than what money can buy. 

Jake has done so much local theatre since his Musicality days that it's sometimes hard to keep track on his theatrical past. Whatever role Jake turns his talented hand to, he always gives 110%, and that is no different here. Not only is he a talented actor, but he's a lovely person away from the stage as well. That's probably another reason why he fits in so well at Encore, as the whole cast are an incredible bunch away from the spotlights and greasepaint.

The ensemble is, as you'd expect quite a large one. They consist of Steve Powell, Sascha Cornelius, Natalie Webster, Joe Butler, Matt Charlton, Laura Davey, Jordan Silver, Ewan Waddell, George Lamb, Charlotte Gerlenter, Emily Rose, Cat New, Alice Humphrys, Arden-Caspar Jennison, Rhodri Denton and Amy Parker. What a chorus this group create vocally, as well as playing several roles throughout.

Directed by Matt Powell, and I know that this has been a labour of love for Matt, and that love shows in this production. He is ably assisted in the directing stakes by Abi Stott-Marshall. I really enjoyed the different staging for this production, especially "Seasons Of Love" which started Act Two. Matt is also responsible for the set design as well as the video design, which was partly filmed live and projected onto the back of the stage, giving the production an additional layer. The videography is thanks to Megan Hill.

The Musical Director is A.J. Hill who, with the four piece band, created a real big sound. You don't realise just how many different genres of music make up this soundtrack. There's echoes of jazz, classical, blues, salsa and rock among this intricate soundtrack. The layered harmonies sounded so good, creating a wall of sound that Phil Spector would have been proud of.

The soundtrack is one of my favourites, including the gorgeous and harmonious “Seasons Of Love” as well as “I Should Tell You”, “One Song Glory”, “Cover You”, “Without You”, “Maureen’s Tango” and “Take Me Or Leave Me” being highlights, along with the rousing title song, “Rent”.

Sound is by Matt Haslam. Crystal clear sound, especially with the reverb on the guitar. A nice mix between vocals and the band and only a couple of missed mic cues, but this was opening night, so I can forgive this.

Lighting by David Price. This show is a mixture of, from an audience point of view, simplistic lighting, as in Angel's final scenes and certain scenes for Roger, which look spectacular, and big colourful scenes, like "La Vie Boheme". Both ends of the scale covered to great effect.

Adam Guest is the Producer for this smash hit show; a show that both Adam and Matt have history with.

"Rent" has been entered for the Derby Amateur Theatre Awards this July, and I personally think that Encore have every chance of replicating their 2022 win for "Frankenstein".

Each production Encore stage, they also raise money for relevant charities. This production is no different as they are collecting for a specific LGBTQ+ cause, so please give what you can afford, as every little helps give back to the community.

"Rent" is an intoxicating and hypnotic piece of theatre and is at May Hall in Long Eaton until Saturday 1 June.

 "Kipps - the New Half A Sixpence Musical"

Carlton Operatic Society.

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

To set the tone for this review, let me just say that everything about this production is of the quality that you'd expect from a West End production, at a fraction of the ticket price.

I've seen "Half A Sixpence" several times but this is the newer version. The writing team behind the stage version of "Mary Poppins" re-united to update this classic British musical concentrating on Arthur Kipps.

Arthur is an orphan, an over-worked draper’s assistant at Shalford’s Bazaar, Folkestone, at the turn of the last century. Along with his fellow apprentices, Flo, Sid, Pierce and Buggins, he dreams of a better and more fulfilling world, but he likes his fun just like any other. When Kipps unexpectedly inherits a fortune that propels him into high society, it confuses everything he thought he knew about life.

Watching him wrestle with his new identity is his childhood companion and his best girl friend, Ann Pornick, who sees how Arthur is being made over in a new image by the classy Helen Walsingham. She is always there with helpful hints on how Arthur could improve himself and make his life richer and more meaningful, if only he would believe in himself, and listen to her. Both of these young women love Arthur – there is no doubt about that – but which should he listen to? With the help of his friends, Arthur learns that if you want to have the chance of living the right life, you need to make the right choices.

This new version of "Half A Sixpence", which returns to the H. G. Wells semi-autobiographical novel, “Kipps”, in order to reinvent the musical “Half a Sixpence” for the modern age, reunites book-writer Julian Fellowes, who everyone knows for writing "Downton Abbey", with George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, the musical team that co-creator Cameron Mackintosh put together to create the updated stage adaptation of Mary Poppins with Disney. Julian Fellowes returns the musical to its literary roots, in a timeless and contemporary way, and Stiles and Drewe’s infectious new score blends well the original score.

As with every production that Carlton operatic stage, they like to include as many performers as they can, so be prepared for a massive production, on every scale.

Arthur Kipps is played by Lu Anthony. This is their debut for Carlton Operatic Society, even though local theatre followers will know Lu from many other productions in the past with other societies and in various venues. Lu brings the down to earth feel of Tommy Steele's Kipps along with Lu's own flair for choreographic experience. Their voice has never sounded so good as in some of these songs, which they do more than deliver, they performs these songs. Their energy is so evident as Kipps, and there's not many scenes where they are not actually on stage. They also learnt how to play the banjo for this role in less than a month. Their chemistry with everyone is something that I know Lu develops with ease and his performance is totally believable. There really is nothing that Lu can't turn their hand to, and I know that even though they were nervous leading up to this show, it looks like everything has fallen into place for them because their performance on Tuesday night was faultless.

Ann Pornick, Arthur's childhood sweetheart, is played by Sarah Thompson. I mentioned the chemistry that Lu has, and this coupling is just so sweet, which then matures really nicely when they meet up again several years later. Sarah's voice is such a gorgeous instrument, especially highlighted in Ann's solo, "Long Ago".

Sid Pornick, Ann's elder brother and an apprentice at Shalford’s Bizarre, is played by Jonathan Jaycock. The joy of seeing different theatrical groups is seeing many actors performing for other companies at different venues, and I've seen Jonathan several times before, so I knew just how strong this cast was, just by looking at the cast list. Jonathan is a strong actor with a strong voice, both qualities shown in this role.

Lizzie Fenner plays the other corner of the love triangle, Helen Walsingham. Lizzie has a lovely clipped brogue for Helen, reminiscent of Julie Andrews in "Mary Poppins". Helen is one of those characters who you do feel a little sorry for, because if it were not for her mother, maybe Helen and Arthur might have had a good shot at marriage, because Helen and Arthur really do want just a small house to live in and be happy in. Helen is educated, classy and beautiful and glides around a room more than merely walks. Lizzie is obviously perfectly cast.

Mrs Walsingham is Helen’s domineering mother. Fussy, tiresome, full of self importance. A snob. Played wonderfully by Lindsey Jaycock.

James Walsingham, Helen’s brother, is a somewhat corrupt financial advisor. He is seemingly the more favoured offspring of Mrs Walsingham and is played by James Ellison. James also doubles as the brilliantly camp photographer in the massively fun scene at Arthur's wedding where we get to experience "Flash, Bang Wallop". I almost expected the audience to boo James when he came on to take his final bows because the character James embezzled all of Arthur's money away, but they didn't.

Dan Armstrong plays both Foster and Chitterlow. Chitterlow delivers the good news to Arthur about his inheritance and advises Arthur to invest some of his inheritance in Chitterlow's play about backing the right horse. "The Joy Of Theatre" is one of those very clever theatre songs that make for a memorable few minutes in the hands and vocals of a charismatic actor, and Dan has always been charismatic, on and off stage, and also has a fine set of vocal chords. 

James Sikora plays Pierce, another of the apprentices. This is the second show that I've seen James in; the last being at Bingham as Silly Billy in pantomime. That was James' first show for about a decade, so I'm so pleased to see James making his debut for Carlton Operatic in a full blown musical theatre piece.

Buggins, another apprentice, is played by George Young, a name and face that I know really well from many theatre productions in Nottingham. For this role though, George's trademark hair was gone, and had been dyed blond; completely unrecognisable from anything else that I'd seen him in. This is also George's Carlton Operatic debut.

Flo is the head window dresser at Shalford’s Bizarre, and is played by Alison Watkins. Alison is a well recognised name and face around the local stages, and is always a welcome cast member in any production.

Playing Lady Punnet, the wealthy friend of Mrs Walsingham, is Helen Tunnicliff. Lady Punnet has hired Ann as a maid at her music evenings, which is an event that Arthur has been invited to, by Mrs Walsingham, which is where the reconciliation between Arthur and his childhood sweetheart starts.

Did I mention that it was a large cast?  Let me  tell you who the rest of them are....

Claire Collishaw (Aunt Susan), Adam Collishaw (Uncle Bert), Darren Ward (Mr Shalford), Celine McKeown (Carshot and Lady Dacre), Stacey Ireson (Hayes), Danniella Anderson (Miss Ross), Rebekah Daley (Mrs Bindo-Botting), Hannah Haywood-Cupitt (Mary), Wendy Austin-Giddings (Miss Maxwell) Eleanor Adey (Ruby), Frank Ellis (Charles), Brogan Hayes (John), Sarah Hill (Virginia), Alice Kirkby (Betty), Coragh O'Donnell (Beatrice), Helen Taylor (Mildred), Katie Waller (Mildred) and Bekki Wilson (Ada). All worthy of a mention.

There are two teams of young ensembles; Team Folkstone and Team Romney. On Tuesday night I saw Team Romney who were Caitlin Young, Eliza Szejda, Sophia Rees, Eloise Rees, Grace Moroziuk, Jacob Jacques-Phillips, Megan Holder, Emily Holder and Henry Armstrong.      

Directed by Rachael Rees, who also choreographed "Kipps". A massive amount of work has gone into the show and these dance routines, and I especially loved the big numbers "If The Rain's Gotta Fall", "Pick Out A Simple Tune" which has Hollywood style choreography written all over it, and of course "Flash, Bang Wallop". You'd expect this standard of choreographical quality from something from the West End, but who needs to pay to travel down south when we have that standard up here.

Musical Director is Chris Rees. The musical has a brilliant soundtrack, "Half A Sixpence", "She's Too Far Above Me", "The Joy Of The Theatre", "If the Rain's Gotta Fall", "Pick Out A Simple Tune", "In the Middle There's Me" and "Flash, Bang, Wallop". The sound was perfectly balanced and could have been lifted from a professional backing track, the sound was so good from this fourteen piece orchestra. The quality of the vocals from this incredibly talented cast also is proof of the immense work that has been invested over the months by Chris and the cast.

Wardrobe by Charades Theatrical Costume Hire in St Helens is another piece of this spectacular jigsaw. They are gorgeous all round.

The wonderful wigs are supplied by Wig Art Theatrical.

A large cast has to be staged managed to the second and so I applaud Stage managers Vicky Johnson, Nigel Newton and Matthew Allcock for a tight job.

The sets are excellent and supplied by Scenic Projects.

Sound by Rob Kettridge. This was so well balanced, I heard every word, spoken and sung, no missed cues anywhere. What more could you ask from a Sound Designer?

Lighting by James Vella, and when you have a Lighting Consultant like Tom Mowat, you are guaranteed a perfect lighting design from this dynamic duo, which is exactly what we got. Mentions also to follow spot operators Cathy Bodman and Simon Carter.

Hopefully my review has not been critical or over analytical, and is more than good to fair; it certainly left me more than perky and is definitely not a turkey and my indorsement is good to share. Carlton Operatic have certainly backed the right horse with this show, as proven by the standing ovations at the end of the show.

"Kipps - the New Half A Sixpence Musical" is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 1 June, and so worth the price of the ticket.

Photos by Martin Holtom.