Category: Featured

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Acorn Antiques nominated for Best Musical!

We’re really excited to announce that our 2016 production of “Acorn Antiques” has been nominated for “Best Musical” by NODA! Although this is our first nomination, we only became NODA-affiliated in 2015 so that’s not bad going!

The awards will be announced on Sunday 11th June so it’ll be fingers crossed until then .. that’ll send those bowling balls right back up the alley if we win! We’re also hoping for a surprise nomination for “most errant prop” but we’ll have to wait and see on that one …

Love and macaroons,

The Cast x

 

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Review of “9 to 5” by Playhouse Musings

Playhouse Musings came to see “9 to 5” and posted a review on their website. You can read the full review here http://playhousemusings.co.uk/2017/03/the-cast-review-9-5-what-a-way-to-spend-an-evening/ but here are some of the things they had to say about the show:

 

“Rob Corner did a great job of tackling this fairly unknown musical, as Director, using every part of the stage to bring this show to life… wrestling with what could have been quite a confusing show. “9 to 5” rockets along at a blistering pace, juggling a lot of plot threads, and doesn’t always do so with great effect…With big performances, and the right amount of focus brought to each character (enhanced with costume and lighting), this was a show that we could follow and enjoy.”

“In addition to the superb harmonies displayed throughout the show, and the wide range of music displayed (although mostly with a country twang), Dave [Dallard -MD] had to keep the band and performers in time with a pre-recorded video of Dolly Parton herself. Bookending the show with narration, the back wall was filled with these projections, which had to be lined up with the music perfectly. Dave did an exemplary job of keeping these two running side-by-side… Injecting life into many of the numbers, Siobhan [Parker’s] choreography helped lift this production even higher.”

“Violet Newstead (Carolyn Smith) has wasted years in the office bullpen, always being passed up for promotions, which are subsequently offered to a less qualified man instead. …The contrast of the swagger through the office, and the closed body language when subjects such as love come up, show Carolyn really understood this character well. All of this was backed up by her singing, which carried her through the differing musical numbers with ease.”

“Judy Bernly (Beth Yearsley) is new to the world of work, having previously been a kept woman, and wanting to prove her worth in the face of her cheating husband. Beth showed the transition from wide-eyed innocence to strong independence, perfectly, and did more to showcase why this group is called “The Cast”. As with Carolyn,  she embodied the character, and had every member of the audience rooting for her. Her comedic timing was on point too, with some of the biggest laughs rising from the naivete of her character. This was all, once again, backed up with a beautiful singing voice. Beth let emotion course through her whilst delivering some of the more sombre numbers, and was responsible for some of my favourite songs within the musical.”

“Doralee Rhodes (Rachelle Bragg) … Rachelle played this obvious caricature of Dolly Parton with great energy, and created what became one of my favourite characters. Her delightful Texan accent was consistent throughout, and did much to hide the sorrows beneath. Just imagine Dolly Parton herself, and you’ll get an idea of the character Rachelle brought to the stage.”

“Franklin Hart, Jr. (Chris Collington). Hart is the bigoted, narcissistic, CEO of the company our leading ladies work for, and the bane of everyone’s lives. … In addition to the nasty side of this character, there were an awful lot of laughs elicited from the audience by Chris. His comedic timing is impeccable, and helped make this a thoroughly rounded character.”

Roz Keith (Cheryl Camm) … Her piercing voice and grating personality made for a detestable character, which was the perfect addition to the show. Her sultry number directed towards an absent Hart was hilariously unexpected, and pulled many a chuckle from the audience… Joe (Rob Holsman) was the hopeless romantic chasing after Violet. Rob didn’t have a huge amount to work with here, but didn’t let that pull him back. The timid and unsure Joe was portrayed perfectly, and his duet with Violet was sang beautifully.”

“In addition to these two, there were various other characters that popped their heads in from time-to-time, usually with a quick quip, and all did well to lift the show even further each time. The chorus blended seamlessly into the action, and performed the choral numbers with great gusto and energy.”

Original review here: http://playhousemusings.co.uk/2017/03/the-cast-review-9-5-what-a-way-to-spend-an-evening/

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Review of “9 to 5” by Kev Castle

“9 To 5 The Musical” by The Cast
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Based on the 1980 movie of the same name, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and the book by Patricia Resnick. It’s set in the late 1970’s and is a story of friendship and revenge and even a little romance thrown into the mix.

Three female office co-workers, Violet, Judy and Doralee concoct a plan to get even with their sexist, egotistical, hypocritical, lying bigot of a boss, Franklin Hart. While the boss is “busy”, the trio give their workplace a makeover and take control of the company that had always held them back.

Following on from last year’s show “Acorn Antiques”, which was also written by a phenomenal female writer in the late Victoria Wood, this musical puts women to the fore, showing that they can produce brilliant comedy. You often find that many plays and musicals aren’t all about the female roles being as strong as the male roles. This musical turns that accusation on its head.

Doralee, the sexy Southern belle becomes the subject of many of the office rumours based purely on what Hart has said, is played by Rachelle Bragg. I was well impressed with her Southern accent and is a great fun part. I loved her song “Backwoods Barbie”, showing that the fun, blonde character also has a human side.

Violet, the office manager who, while Hart is in charge will never be CEO. Played by Carolyn Smith, and a really powerful performance Carolyn gives with vocals to match the performance. Classy all the way to the finale.

Judy is the newly divorced lady who is an office worker for the first time is played by Beth Yearsley. I’d almost forgotten just what a wonderful voice she has, and when she sung “Get Out And Stay Out”, she showed off that emotional and power packed set of vocal chords she has. A lovely comedy performance as well which also showed the character getting stronger and more self empowered all the way to the finale.

Cheryl Camm also turns in a brilliant comedy performance as Hart’s love smitten secretary, Roz Keith. And what a transformation in her big song “Heart To Hart”.

Playing the sexist, egotistical, hypocritical, lying bigot of a boss, Hart is a brave man indeed, Christopher Collington. The things those women do to him doesn’t come cheap in specialist magazines (so I’m led to believe). His “Here For You” is delivered with such an overly sexist tone, I’m surprised that he isn’t on some register, Hart not Chris that is. A wonderful performance which I imagine is such a great part for any male actor to get his teeth into, as long as you have a strong pain threshold.

The other main male role is Joe, who has a bit of a crush on the older Violet. Played by Rob Holsman who also gets to show off, not only his fine singing voice in the duet with Carolyn of “Let Love Grow”, but also gets to showcase his tap dancing skills.

Talking of which, that tap dancing scene was one of the highlights and featured the four main male dancers, as well as Carolyn. The male dancers, I must say, really threw themselves into the choreography and looked like they were having the time of their lives. Also a tribute to the wonderful choreography of Siobhan Parker. With so many strong female roles in this play, they held their own.

Directed by Rob Corner, who also designed the set, this is another success under his belt. When you think that the live band, directed by Dave Dallard, which by the way gave their usual top class performance, had to work to the projected back drop with Dolly Parton singing and speaking over the live music, timing is going to be of the essence. The actors and the band had to perform around Dolly’s image, which could have gone wrong, but didn’t, smoothly segueing together.

The stage management and crew worked slickly to get the props and sets on and off the stage. Not easy when you see some of the props.

Some of the sound was a bit awry meaning that some of the dialogue was missed but was soon amended and the rest of the show was clear. Well managed by Ben Tennett.

The dynamic duo of light (Dave Martin) and sound (Ben) made the show an easy watch. A director once told me that you only really notice the lights when something goes wrong. That may be true but when it all goes to plan, it’s also worth recognition. A bit like the sound man, you only notice when the sound isn’t right but when it’s good, it also makes all the difference to a show, especially a musical.

Okay so it’s not the strongest of story lines, but who cares? Sometimes you need a bit of fluff with your cheese and this does the job admirably. It’s great fun and the songs are catchy, especially the title track, “9 To 5”. And when the Cast are having fun on stage, the audience can’t help not to.

“9 To 5 The Musical” performed by The Cast is at the Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton until Saturday 18 March 2017. Oh and make sure that you buy a programme as well!

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Theatre Monkeys review of “Acorn Antiques”

There comes a time in every reviewer’s life when they are the last to produce the goods. The last to get their words out to you, the public. With this comes great fear, the fear that what they want to say has already been said…this is one of those times. Sadly I am the last to review (to my knowledge), but it will not deter me. After reading the other reviews that have been produced I must say, I fully agree. Still, I have seen, I have been impressed and I want to share with you, the reader, my opinions on The Cast’s production of Acorn Antiques.

A true amateurish delight that is perfect in every way.

This is a musical that is made from the very staples of television’s long running show ‘Crossroads’ amongst others and of ‘at the time’ radio broadcasts, conceived by Victoria Woods in the early 1980’s, aired in her hit show ‘Victoria Woods As Seen On TV’ and well, let’s face it…is a spoof of all that is serious within the world of television and radio. It was written as an exaggerated version of well-loved programmes and showcases all that happens within one of these shows; forgotten memories, complicated love stories, vastly wild plots and a family brought together over death and reconciliation. This show explores the best of television has to offer with low production cost, rickety sets, dreadful scripts and over-acting; something I am sure that no one does!

The story is simple. An antiques shop at the heart of Manchesterford’s highstreet. Inside are sisters Miss Babs, Miss Berta and another woman called Mrs Overall. These three keep the shop afloat, surrounded by their neighboring shop keeps, postmen, street cleaners, friends and love interests. That is until gigantic conglomerates plan on overturning all shops buying out the tenants and creating boutiques, tanning salons, piercing shops and a giant coffee shop; all aided by a loan shark. Can the sisters of this simple shop overthrow the giants and win back the street?

Let me just grab a cake and a cup of tea and I will be with you shortly, “Mrs O”…

Entering the Duchess Theatre I was greeted by friendly staff all dressed to impress ushering all who came through their doors to their seats. A buzz was in the air as there was the anticipation of “what to expect”. Having seen the originals of this show, I was excited to see how this company portrayed this well-loved comedy. Jumping right to the end, I was not let down in the slightest. What a show, what a performance and what a talented collection of actors. Leaving the theatre I can say that I am now excited to see these guys perform their next production ‘9-5 The Musical’ in March next year.

1The curtains were drawn so I could not see the stage, which only added to the excitement and anticipation of what was to come. The band were assembled in front of the stage, eagerly tuning up and waiting for the drop of the musical director’s baton. Once all seats were taken the lights dimmed. Drop, it fell and the band picked up their tuneful ways perfectly, and in this moment the curtain opened to present a single person, head down dressed in black. Fabulous opening to a show, the whole ensemble explaining, creating and moving to form the made up town of Manchesterford. It did make me laugh, as with a lot of this musicals music, you can hear the odd tune or motif from other well-known musicals. This one is no different, as for me the setting, costume and sound was a subtle (or rather blatant nod) to Liza Minnelli’s ‘All that Jazz’…but in marigolds!

The set was one of the best amateur sets I have seen in a very long time. Doors, stairs, wonky pictures and even a working stair lift, all added to the show in a way that made you believe every moment. Sure this was a farce in the grand scale of things, but to have the wobbly set pieces, the un-openable (at times) open doors right down to the table a chair set gave the audience the picture-perfect image of this beloved musical. I will just mention that this is a show with a difference, where the set and missed ques, even wrong entrances and prompts all add to the enjoyable amateurish portrayal that shows us just why this TV show and Victoria Wood is a household name in British comedy.

So let’s get right to it. It is fair to say that there is not one member of this company that does not deserve praise. It goes without question that without each and every person (both on stage and off) this production would not have been the success that it quite clearly was. As we are talking about the cast there are a few proverbial thumbs up that I would like to mention.

24Carrie-Anne Corner (Miss Babs) was everything that you would want and expect from the character. The sexually charged yet the perfect host and shop owner, all the while being full of life and energy. Her voice is pitch perfect and never skipped a written note, even when well…erm…being overly familiar with her figure and the man she was showing it to in the song ‘Have you met Miss Babs’. Carolyn Smith (Miss Berta), again was the perfect casting. Her expression both body and facial were intense, mournful and a little bit cheeky when needed. Carolyn’s voice was sublime, echoing into the rafters especially during ‘Remind him’. Both were indeed a great blend of vocals, acting skill and comedic timing.

Alex Tavener (Miss Bonnie) played a perfect, yet understated (at first) villain, I for one cannot fault her performance. Strong, bold and yet very, very funny. During one song I was laughing so much that I may have choked a little, as I was taken by surprise of one of her entrances. She left one side, and moments later, as the song still continued, entered from the opposite side; arms skyward “Ah-ing” with a beaming great smile.
For me, the stand out performance is undoubtedly Mrs Overall/Mrs O (Mina Machin). She was a delight to watch, listen to and soak in. Every word was delivered in the most effortlessly presented Brummie accent that I am sure would make both Julie Walters and Victoria Woods proud. Her mannerisms, facial expressions, physical body shape even her varicose veins were remarkable to watch. The comic timing of missed cues, her ability to sing, especially her speech level singing (which is incredibly hard to get right) down to the way in which she interacts with all the cast (and audience) were a joy to watch.

Jason Parker’s (Mr Clifford) portrayal of this character was marvellous. His timing, his voice and his endless suffering due to the ‘accident’ were all on display and you could tell that he enjoyed every minute. Adam Richmond (Tony) was suave, cunning, charming and scheming all the while staying away from the fatty sweety goodness of the macaroons! That is until he eats one, and then the ‘ham’ set in. Changing his ways for the better, you could really see the change. Sure Tony told us all what was happening, but still it could be seen in as simple a thing as the posture shift.

MH5_8427 ResizedKeith Butcher (Mr Watkins) and Chris Collington (Derek) were as delight. Fabulously sauntering about, pervading the air with your ironed cardigans! Very funny to watch during the song ‘Gents duet’, especially Chris. I had seen him in a recent production of Rock of Ages, to then witness this change was just an added bonus and a credit to your acting skill.

Each and every member of this cast should feel proud at what they have achieved. I was taken back by just how amazing each and every one of you were. Well done.

Sound (Ben Tennett) was brilliant. Never once did the vocals fall below ear level, nor the band become too loud. It was well balanced and never changed. Lighting (Dave Martin) lit the stage ‘spot’ on! Colours where needed were there, the spots were perfectly placed and never once did I feel that it was dark or blinded, which given the style of the show could have happened. Choreography (Laurie Trott) had all the glitz and glamour of Broadway and The West End, yet still felt perfectly done for this piece. There was not that many ‘big’ numbers, however what was there, was entertaining and visually stunning. Costumes (Mina Machin) reminding me exactly of the TV show. I cannot say any more than that really. Brilliant. Musical Director (Dave Dallard) produced a fantastic band that delivered some cracking numbers and never once lost the pace of the piece.

Director Rob Corner must be feeling exhausted and with a great sense of achievement. To be able to create such a magnificent show, and get the best natural performance of all of the cast and crew (as they too were in stage) just shows us how much time effort, energy and love has gone into this show. A true amateurish delight that is perfect in every way.

http://thetheatremonkeys.co.uk/2016/03/the-cast-review-acorn-antiques-does-not-fall-short-of-perfection-much-like-the-tea-tray/

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Kev Castle review of Acorn Antiques

“Acorn Antiques” by The Cast
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

Written by Victoria Wood, this was bound to be funny,and it’s more than that because in the hands of these actors, “Antiques” is one of the funniest plays I’ve seen this year so far. Acorn Antiques is run by Miss Babs and Miss Berta, aided by their friends and cleaner: Mrs Overall and Mr Clifford. Soon, they discover a third sister, Bonnie who is initially scheming and devious,even sacking Mrs Overall. The plot unfolds and the sisters are faced with financial problems and eventually family secrets are revealed. The show ends with the return of Mrs Overall, a windfall, and the marriage of Miss Bertha and Mr Clifford. Well that’s the main story, but there;s so much more to this wonderful comedy musical.

…an amazingly good performance to a professional level, which is what I had expected anyway. I’ve not smiled or laughed so much since “Fawlty Towers” …

There’s not a single member of the cast who isn’t essential to the comedy cogs of this well oiled mirth machine, so let’s take a look….
Miss Babs, played by Carrie-Anne Corner is so good you forget Celia Imrie. Babs is the sexually frustrated man-eater with a lovely line of double-entendre. Tie that in with a great singing voice, shown off well in “Have You Met Miss Babs” and you have one third of the sisters.
30Miss Berta is portrayed by Carolyn Smith, another killer of a comedy role, with just a touch of sadness as she recalls about the time that she nearly married Mr Clifford, but due to a freak accident, this didn’t happen. Thanks to another freak accident with a tea tray though, a happy ending ensued.
Miss Bonnie is the baddie of the piece, well one of them, and at times gets a panto baddie reception with “boos” and “hisses” coming from the audience.Alex Tavener revels in this role and I loved the comedy that Miss Bonnie brings to table by way of the very talented Alex T. A wonderful trio of very funny characters and actors.
Mina Machin plays Mrs Overall, and if ever Julie Walters hangs up her overall for this part then Mina can step into this role with the greatest of ease. Not only does Mina look like Julie Walters in the role, but she sounds like her and she has all of the Mrs O’s characteristics down to a tee. the character is comedy royalty and there’s a scene where Mrs O goes up the stairs in a stairlift and waves to the audience who take great pleasure waving back. Oh but i was longing for Mina to do a Royal Wave in the way that the Queen does. Just an observation, mind!
As I said, all of the characters were crucial to the musical so let’s have a look at some of the others….
Mr Clifford, who is the Duncan Preston role, is played by Jason Parker and his whole mannerisms remind me so much of Duncan’s portrayal.
Derek ( Christopher Collington) and Mr Watkins (Martin Holton) play the only two MH5_8427 Resizedmen in the village who iron their cardigans!! Martin stepped into the breach just hours before curtain up after Keith Butcher took ill earlier. I hear that Keith is on the road to recovery which is good news.
There’s a lovely comedy section which involves the two young shop helpers Hugh and Mimi, which shows Victoria’s knowledge of classic comedy sketches as she seems to have been inspired by a sketch from Abbot and Costello with a clever word play scene around the names. Hugh and Mimi are transformed from two chavs to respectable antique lovers. Zach Foster and Emily Corner give brilliant character performances in these roles.
Tony is the other baddie. As the loan shark who tries to con the sisters out of the shop, Adam Richmond brings a slimy, almost devilish feel to the character, who changes from the hard hearted con man, thanks to the actions of Mrs O and her macaroons!!
The rest of the cast play various other roles as shop owners, the lollipop lady, and the postman who was also on the radar for Miss Babs, well he is male! Every one of them giving faultless performances.
As per the TV version of “Antiques” there are shaky walls, missed cues and even the bits which weren’t supposed to happen added to the comedy and got laughs where they weren’t scripted in…cue door handle!
The orchestra, under the musical direction of Dave Dallard was, as usual, crystal clear, and not too loud that you couldn’t hear the actors. A nice mix, thanks to Ben Tennett at the sound controls.
Beautifully and lovingly directed by Rob Corner, who obviously has an eye and ear for getting the pace of the comedy spot on. With this show playing up to the fact that missed cues are part of the comedy, playing it like this is harder than playing it to the cue as you want to and going against the comedy grain isn’t easy. It’s like Les Dawson playing the piano; he was a talented pianist but playing for comedy was harder.. you get what I mean don’t you?
9There are some wonderfully choreographed pieces here, especially the end piece which is straight out of Hollywood, via Manchesterford, and a very clever tap routine, all choreographed by Laurie Trott.
You know, I can’t find anything in this show to constructively criticise because these bunch of amateur actors gave an amazingly good performance to a professional level, which is what I had expected anyway. I’ve not smiled or laughed so much since “Fawlty Towers” on stage a few weeks ago, which shows that local theatre groups are just so talented where comedy is concerned. Don’t always rely on professional shows for the big laughs because the talent is here at a local level. Now!

“Acorn Antiques” is on at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 19 March 2016.

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Little Shop of Horrors teaser video!

Take a little sneaky peek behind the scenes of our Little Shop Of Horrors production! We’ve  put together a little video to whet your appetite for this great show so you can see what goes on in getting a show like this together; the choregraphy, the plants, the band call and of course the inevitable descent into hysterics. Enjoy!

Tickets are on sale now but selling fast – click the “Buy Tickets” link to purchase.

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NODA Review of Little Shop Of Horrors

A very talented cast and production team… together with a magnificent Audrey 2 … was certainly the best I have seen to date.

So this NODA rep walks into a Little Shop and says … well, actually very nice things! Especially considering this was our opening night and if anything’s going to go wrong, this is usually when it’ll happen. However, I don’t think we could have asked for a better opening night, with a very nearly full house. Here’s the NODA review of the show:

“This was a great production with plenty of action and lots of fun. Martin (Holtom – Director) made full use of the set and the talented company conveying the atmosphere of the period. Dave (Dallard – Musical Director)  achieved a high musical standard from the pit and stage together with a nice interpretation, particularly in the quieter moments. There were excellent performances from Craig Arme and Emily Marshall-Sims as Seymour and Audrey both vocally and in character portrayal, particularly in “Suddenly Seymour”.

John Maddison provided a very good performance as Mr Mushnik, the character came over just right. Christopher Collington made quite an impact as Orin making the most of this over the top character with plenty of Elvis background. There was great singing from the “Ronnettes” with lovely harmonies. Using two groups of girls was different but it certainly paid off, adding to the quality of the music, well done girls. I liked the choreography and dance, just the right level and amount, linking well with the other stage movement. The set was very good but it was rather overshadowed in the second act by a magnificent Audrey 2, which, together with the (overheated!) operators was certainly the best I have seen to date. Lighting and costumes all added to the occasion and efficient stage management kept the show flowing at all times. This Society does introduce newcomers to the stage and did so in this production and I am sure they will have enjoyed the experience and gained a lot from working with a very talented cast and production team. It was a very enjoyable evening and a very entertained audience.”

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Review of Bad Girls – The Musical

Well, it seems we have a very popular show on our hands! This review just in … Once again thank you to everyone who has bought tickets – for those still to come, we promise you a great show!

“Audiences at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton who saw the show Bad Girls performed by The Cast recently would no doubt agree on what an excellent evening’s entertainment it was.

The show took us into the lives of a dozen or more of the officers and inmates of Larkhall women’s prison Continue reading “Review of Bad Girls – The Musical”