SET
Good use of levels, this was a very effective simple set , with the many entrances which the cast made full use of. All the chalk writing was just right and made us think that we were in a arts school.

MUSIC
Phil Dixon kept control of the band, although I did feel that at times the trumpet was a little off. I felt for you in the pit especially when the cast were dancing on top of you. But the sound was just right, good levels

SOUND
Well done to the sound team of Tim Clark and Joe D’Souza who made sure that the sound levels were correct so that we could hear every word clearly

LIGHTING
With Paul Lewis as technical Director and Lighting designer you can be assured that everyone was well lit and there were no dark patches.

CHOREOGRAPHY
As I said at the beginning this show can be a choreographers dream or nightmare, with its nonstop dancing, Donna Podesta is to be congratulated for giving the cast so many different routines and made sure that the cast worked hard to achieve the desired effect. The difficulty in any show is having to move a large cast around a small space and let it seem natural, which she did.

COSTUME
These were appropriate to students in an Academy

CAST
NICK PIAZZA (Tom Creswick)
Tom gave a strong performance as Nick the Acting Student. You created a well crafted and thought out character, which was both convincing and believable, you have a good strong voice and at all times looked relaxed and at home on the stage. There was good interaction with Serena in your song “lets play a love scene” and we could see the chemistry between you and you brought out the enthusiasm that you as a character had for your acting. Congratulations on a first class performance.

SERENA KATZ (Emma Jones)
This was an excellent portrayal of the character, you have a strong clear voice which showed you at your best in your singing, and you put so much emotion into your songs that we could empathise with you. We could feel the rapport between you and Nick which was well handled. This was a performance to be proud of as at all times you looked relaxed and natural.

JOE VEGAS (Jordan Brailsford)
You brought out some of the comedy of the role, this was a well thought out character, you were always full of energy bouncing around the stage, there was good interaction between you and the teachers in your insolent manner, it was obvious that rules mean nothing to you. but one thing you do need to pay attention to is that at times you started talking so fast that words were lost. Otherwise this was a first class performance, well done.

SCHLOMO METZENBAUM (Luke Burnell)
As the talented student who is living under his father’s shadow, you gave a strong performance and there was obvious attraction between you and Carmen, you could see from the start the real person under the bravado, you did your best to save her but she was a lost cause. Your duet with her was sensitively handled and you could feel the emotion. You gave a confident performance, well done.

GOODMAN “Goody” KING (Gabriel Marriage)
You were always in character and worked well with the other members of the cast, and as part of the team, this was a good supporting role. Well done

GRACE “Lambchops” LAMB (Daisy Wood)
You had obviously thought about the character from her clothes to her attitude, this was an excellent characterisation, you looked the typical American drama student From your first entrance you were Grace and you stayed her all the way through. You have a good voice which meant we could hear every word clearly, and you moved and acted naturally on stage. This was a first class performance, well done.

IRIS KELLY (Iona Howells)
You looked every bit the dance student, you moved well and you created the character to whom dance was everything and your dancing was superb. We could also feel the blossoming romance between you and Tyrone, which was handled sensitively as you yourself blossomed into a young confident dancer. We could also see that Tyrone could see the real you for the entire facade that you put up. This was an excellent performance. Well done.

TYRONE JACKSON (Abdi Kareem)
Abdi made the most of the role, and in your two songs “Tyrones Rap” and “Dancin’ on the sidewalk” you were outstanding with so much energy, I did feel that the second song could have included more “hip hop” dancing. You still need to slow down when speaking as we lost some of the dialogue due to this, but you created a moody, sullen character who didn’t take kindly to authority, but we could see the attraction between you and Iris, and in the end this brought out the real Tyrone. This was a performance which was so full of energy and enthusiasm, well done.

MABEL WASHINGTON (Kelly Warren)
An impressive performance you have an excellent voice and you created the character well, you brought out all the complicated facets of Mabel, from the overeating, your worries and fears about acting to the realisation that it didn’t matter anyway. Your song “Mabel’s prayer” was first class with a strong bluesy feel that suited your voice. At all times you were Mabel, this was a memorable performance.

CARMEN DIAZ (Georgia Ross)
A strong performance as always from Georgia, an excellent characterisation with the brash personality. A good strong voice which would I am sure would sound better without a mic. You never fail to please in whatever role you are asked to play and this was no exception. This was a role that suited you and you made this character your own. From the over confident drama student who dreamed of going places to the downturn in the second half when it was obvious that all your dreams had been shattered and you had turned to drugs, you achieved this reversal perfectly. Congratulations on convincing and powerful performance.

THE TEACHERS
MISS ESTHER SHERMAN (Louise Cottell)
Your costume immediately gave the impression of a strait laced teacher, you carried yourself well and we could see the emotional reaction to Tyrone. At all times you stayed in character. You have an excellent singing and speaking voice, your song with Greta Bell was well handled but you gave an outstanding performance, in your song “These are my children” was superb so much emotion came across and we felt for you and I am sure that there were a few tears from the audience. Congratulations on a memorable performance.

MR MYERS (Brendan Casey)
Only a small role, which as always you developed and we could see the real character you created. There was good interaction with the students in the acting classes and at all times you stayed in character. Well done

MS GRETA BELL (Holly McEleny)
You have a strong voice and you were Miss Bell from your first entrance, this was a believable character. Your song with Miss Sherman was convincingly done, although there were times when you let your voice drop and we lost the words. However there was good interaction between you and the students, Well done

MR SHEINKOPF (Will Pope)
A confident performance, you gave an understated performance but at all times you were Mr Sheinkopf and you kept the accent all the way through which was naturally done. There was good interaction with the students. Well done.

CLASS OF 2016
The dancing and singing was excellent, there was so much energy and enthusiasm coming from you at all times and you handled all the many roles that you were playing, there was good support for the main characters. Good facial acting at all times you stayed in character and played as part of the action. You all worked so hard that you must have been worn out by the end of the run. Congratulations.

Congratulations to Director Peter Cottell for choosing his cast well so that they all suited their roles, and to all the hard work you must have put in to achieve such a high level of acting. To Choreographer Donna Podesta who must have worked so hard to create the many routines and then make sure that the cast interpreted them as you wanted , also to Musical Director Phil Dixon for making sure his band played at the right levels and for the work with the principals and chorus to ensure that the singing was flawless. But most of all to the talented highly enthusiastic and energetic cast who made all the hard work that the Peter, Donna and Phil had done into reality and sweep us along with the story. This was a performance that everyone can be proud of.

Thank you for inviting me and for the welcome front of house, I thoroughly enjoyed the show and I look forward to being invited to your next production

Tony Winstone
NODA Representative – District 13