Cabaret!
A review by Mrs Blundell…
Even on first entry to the Theatre the scene was set… a wisp of smoke, Kit Kat girls and the most impressive bit of staging that sweeps up one side of the Theatre… I had heard rumblings that this was going to be special, in fact “the best school production I have seen”, “so professional”, “Jodie Micciché – a star in the making”, “powerful imagery”, “superb orchestra”… were amongst a few things overheard before I arrived……..and so the show began!
The time, effort, energy and commitment by all students and staff involved in the production was worth every second! As far as whole school productions go there was not one area which lacked! The staging was inspired. Who would have thought a simple series of doorframes could open such an amazing view into the dark seedy world of Berlin and the degradation of those people’s lives living through that era?
George Lumkin as ‘Emcee’ opened the show with such style and character – his performance did not falter throughout – he commanded the attention of everyone in the audience and for me was a real highlight. ‘2 Ladies!’ … a real musical treat, even if a little ‘risqué’! Anna Lumkin and Alex Perkins, as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz were a perfect match, their stunning voices brought ‘It couldn’t please me more’ (the pineapple song) to life – great talent! Fraulein Kost (Alice Tucker) with her ‘sailor boys’ added a humorous dimension . Christopher Bradshaw (Mike Guthrie) and Ernst Ludwig (Christopher Sargent) were both so convincingly performed, the innocence of Christopher Bradshaw and the twist in character delivered by Christopher Sargent gave this show the dark edge that kept its audience on the edge of its seat. The Kit Kat girls (and boys) should be commended for their faultless performances throughout – the choreography was relentless and simply brought the stage to life for the duration of the show. If anyone is destined for a life in the West end then Jodie Micciché as ‘Sally Bowles’ proves she has the all round, effortless, vocal talent (the song ‘cabaret’ was sensational!) and acting ability to take her all the way. These performances were matched at the highest level by the rest of the chorus, whose dedication to their performance throughout was remarkable!
The costumes – hand crafted by our own staff and students - set the tone from the start and lights looked stunning. Behind the scenes the tech crew, as ever were slick and helped to ensure an absolutely seamless performance – the sign of a top class production! The brilliant orchestra under the baton of Dan Shooter set the highest standard and along with some sensational vocal talents on display gave a quality musical performance full of confidence, fun and towards the end, despair!
So after digesting the joy of Backwell School’s whole school production of ‘Cabaret’ – I felt compelled to email 3 simple words to Pete Bannister (Director), Dan Shooter (Musical Director) and Ann-Marie Keep (choreographer)… ‘exceptional, absolutely exceptional!’
Louise Blundell Assistant Headteacher
Photographs - Pete Murphy
