Lurking somewhere in this familiar cosy tale of the little orphan girl who melts the heart of a lonely business tycoon there lies the kernel of a stark assessment of the American Dream. Set in 1933 in the depths of the Great Depression, America is shown as a land of ‘them and us’, the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.
Whilst the authors might have wanted to give their audience a gentle elbow in the ribs with a, ‘look how nasty the system is’, dancing taxi drivers, a group of orphans that would give the girls of St Trinians a run for their money and, in Daddy Warbucks, a symbol of that system who turned out to be a big softie, are never going to have audiences rushing for the barricades.
The director, Nikolai Foster, has give us a spirited little girl, winsome in all the right places, yet streetwise enough to make her way on the mean streets amongst the other industrial waste from a heartless economic system, yet with enough innocent brass to give ‘Mr President’ a pointer or two on how to solve the world’s economic problems. Last night’s Annie, Sophia Pettit, was everything the director could have wanted: with a bright, attractive singing voice and a confidence that belied her years she radiated the optimism that forms the cornerstone of this show’s message and is summed up in the anthemic Tomorrow.
Craig Revel Horwood’s dame of a Miss Hannigan is a staggering gin-soak. Like any dame he likes a big entrance, but that said he has eschewed high camp in favour of a more considered cross-gendered approach that avoids obvious parody. Nonetheless it is a fun character, in keeping with the overall feel of the show and in which he reveals himself as not only a clever observer of movement, (and of course excellent dancer) but a rounded entertainer to boot.
Alex Bourne, as the melt-in-the-middle captain of industry, is the lodestone that gives the story direction. Sharp suited and with the swagger and confidence of the self-made rather than poise of the well bred, he delivers the shot of emotion that the show needs in order to keep its heart pumping. Holly Dale Spencer as loyal P.A., Grace, the love that was under his nose all the time, brims with enthusiastic good sense. Jonny Fines and Djalenga Scott who turn up as Rooster and Lily, the inevitable ‘complication’ on the way to the happy ending are a couple of charmingly heartless villains with Easy Street being one of the stand out numbers.
Colin Richmond’s clever, jigsaw set is beautifully lit by Ben Cracknell and Nick Winston’s choreography gives the show all the pizazz it needs. It’s a warm hearted production that charms the audience with some memorable numbers performed by a top-notch cast. ★★★★☆ Graham Wyles 1/09/15
