I was lucky enough to see Curtain Call’s production of Annie on opening night at The Lyceum this week, and from the first number, I knew this was going to be one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen Curtain Call produce.
Directed by Gail Montague the cast delivered outstanding performances, and I had to remind myself that this is an amateur production.
In the show I saw, the younger cast members were from Team Warbucks, and their infectious energy and enthusiasm set the standard for the rest of the night.
They really were the heart and soul of the show.
Molly Drain gave a confident performance as Annie; she had a wonderful voice and was absolutely charming in this role.
Erin Harrington also quickly won the audience over by being fun and cheeky as Molly.
It’s always good to hear live music at The Lyceum, Musical Director Malcolm Forbes-Peckham brings joyfulness and energy to the songs we all know and love.
The choreography was precise, at some points the stage looked a little crowded, but every group number was performed well and reflected the characters and storyline.
My favourites being Hard Knock Life and You Won’t Be An Orphan For Long.
Natalie Kent was the perfect choice as Miss Hannigan, providing just the right amount of comic villainy which the audience loved to see.
The performance of Easy Street with Rooster and Lily St Regis played by Sean Johnson-Hargreaves and Rhianne Stubbs was fabulous.
Siobhan Webb gave a strong performance as Grace Farrell as did Steven Coles who played the self-made billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Their rendition of NYC looked and sounded great.
There were so many things in this show which made me smile, and I laughed a lot at the radio scene with The Boylan Sisters and The Hour of Smiles Family.
I’ve been trying to figure out what made this show work so well. Curtain Call clearly know how to put on a good show. Everything was perfect.
But more than anything, I think this cast have a genuine love for performing and this shone through above everything else.
The audience obviously agreed and rewarded them with a standing ovation.
Annie is showing at The Lyceum until March 21st.
(Review by Claire Faulkner)
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