Reviews
Reviews
User Review: 25Aug05: Clear Channel Stage Experience presents
“Summer Holiday”
Alexandra Theatre, 25 August to 27 August 2005
Tonight saw the opening night of “Summer Holiday” a production that involves around 120 youngsters both on and off stage. Clear Channel has this year run 10 such productions across the country bringing together local acting and musical talent with the professional theatre. What a wonderful opportunity it has been and the performance tonight showed how much work they had put into producing this musical.
The big thing with such a venture is to make it fun for all those involved and Director and Choreographer Pollyann Tanner got the very most out of her huge cast. Likewise Musical Director Matthew Freeman kept the pace going at just the right speed and backed the vocals perfectly. There were some sound problems at the outset but these soon settled down and the cast built its confidence quickly.
The principals were excellent, Colin Green as Don had a huge responsibility in portraying such a large part but he did it confidently and clearly enjoyed the role, his vocal skills are good and he has a warm personality that comes across from the start. His fellow mechanics, Jonathan Head as Edwin, Robert Cooper as Cyril, Mitchell Miller as Steve and Paul Bickerton as Reggie, back him up well and individually display good song, dance and acting ability.
Janine Mason as Barbara Winters was also confident and well matched with Don. Her mother Stella was played very amusingly and zanily by Holly Turton and at times I could only think of American comedienne Phyllis Diller. Joe Lycett played Jerry and he sparred well with Stella and they did a charming song together called La La La. The girls, Lauren Margetts as Alma, Kirsty Somers as Mimsie, and Laura Ellis as Angie make for a good 60s vocal group.
The huge cast did wonderfully well with the choreography filling the stage and making the most of the routines. It was good to see such a wide range of ages working together and having such a good time. The audience loved the show and there is no doubting that if you go along on Friday or Saturday you too will see youngsters being creative and positive.
Clive Fuller
User Reviews
USER (25Aug05): Clear Channel Stage Experience presents
“Summer Holiday”
Alexandra Theatre, 25 August to 27 August 2005
Tonight saw the opening night of “Summer Holiday” a production that involves around 120 youngsters both on and off stage. Clear Channel has this year run 10 such productions across the country bringing together local acting and musical talent with the professional theatre. What a wonderful opportunity it has been and the performance tonight showed how much work they had put into producing this musical.
The big thing with such a venture is to make it fun for all those involved and Director and Choreographer Pollyann Tanner got the very most out of her huge cast. Likewise Musical Director Matthew Freeman kept the pace going at just the right speed and backed the vocals perfectly. There were some sound problems at the outset but these soon settled down and the cast built its confidence quickly.
The principals were excellent, Colin Green as Don had a huge responsibility in portraying such a large part but he did it confidently and clearly enjoyed the role, his vocal skills are good and he has a warm personality that comes across from the start. His fellow mechanics, Jonathan Head as Edwin, Robert Cooper as Cyril, Mitchell Miller as Steve and Paul Bickerton as Reggie, back him up well and individually display good song, dance and acting ability.
Janine Mason as Barbara Winters was also confident and well matched with Don. Her mother Stella was played very amusingly and zanily by Holly Turton and at times I could only think of American comedienne Phyllis Diller. Joe Lycett played Jerry and he sparred well with Stella and they did a charming song together called La La La. The girls, Lauren Margetts as Alma, Kirsty Somers as Mimsie, and Laura Ellis as Angie make for a good 60s vocal group.
The huge cast did wonderfully well with the choreography filling the stage and making the most of the routines. It was good to see such a wide range of ages working together and having such a good time. The audience loved the show and there is no doubting that if you go along on Friday or Saturday you too will see youngsters being creative and positive.
Clive Fuller
The musical of the old Cliff Richard film in which three young lads buy a double decker London bus and convert it into a touring holiday home to search out fun and girls. The girls they pick up on the way and the fun is guaranteed.
