Presentation

PRESENTATION/SETTING by Sam Davis, Ingrid Mengdehl, David Walton, Alex Simpson and each & everyone in the large stage crew

From the pre-show curtains and atmospheric lighting, the audience had little doubt that they were in the hands of people who know what theatre is about. It seemed a simple enough start but somehow there was ‘promise’ in the stone clad proscenium.

The technical team in their entirety are to be congratulated for both the set construction and the slick manner in which various trucks, cables and operating tables were manipulated around the stage. Scene changes were always effected with the utmost alacrity, for which we were all grateful, in such an episodic piece. Although perhaps too quick at times as ‘men in black’ were caught on stage when the lights came up on a couple of occasions.

There were delightful details all around this set, from the fabulous lit cables and dials, those enormous knockers (on the door!!) through to the lovely touch of Gene Wilder’s appearance as Victor’s portrait.

This was a production where all departments played pivotal roles in presenting a thoroughly professional product. Well done to all!

Lighting

Lighting by Chris Horseman & Peter Larter-Stow Generally the three ‘A’s were very well lit (Actors, Action & Atmosphere), particularly the atmosphere, I loved the lights streaming into the study from on high. The laboratory scenes were also very impressive. All those flashing lights and illuminated cables, cued to perfection, as were the follow spots – well done Calin Jones & mysterious ‘Last Minute Transylvanian’. I was slightly at odds with the strips of neon on the stone cladding of the proscenium arch. These were too disjointed for me, very pretty to look at but I failed to see what they were signifying.

Overall though this department added huge value to the production.

Sound

Sound by James Hartland & Steve Clarke

Balancing sound in a musical is never easy particularly when the cast are using head mics. For me this area of the production, like so many others, was handled extremely well; voices were always balanced with the band, which is no mean feat. Cueing of sound effects was nearly perfect – I did notice a missed cue the first time the bookcase rotated, but the horse neighs were spot on.

Musical Direction

Musical Direction by Brendan Casey and his Band

Well done Brendan, this band was so slick that my wife thought the cast were performing to a backing track. Each of your eight musicians appeared to be at the top of their game. The numbers were tight and the essence of each genre was captured completely. It sounds odd, but I particularly enjoyed the incidental music; so atmospheric. But don’t let that mislead you into thinking I didn’t enjoy the numbers – I thought the band were fabulous!

Wardrobe and Props

Wardrobe & Props by Pete Cottell, Charlie Rowlands, Lou Couzens, Robb Norton, Sarah Bailey, Mandie Love, Rosie Garnett & Lily Smith

Well done team! The high production values employed by this company were exemplified by the costume and make-up. The major characters were all dressed beautifully, but also the villagers were wonderful, so similarly dressed to signify the commonality of location but all with subtle differences to indicate individuality. Whose fabulous idea was it to go monster hunting with a duck!!

I loved the way that Igor’s costume helped so much with his physicality – Chris, you owe someone a pint! Robb, very well done with The Monster! I did think the joke would have been heightened if Elizabeth had emerged from the cave with a torn version of the frock she went in wearing, as suggested in the script, rather than a shift. The big numbers were beautifully dressed, with the black & white chic of ‘Surprise’ & ‘Putting on the Ritz’ as the highlights. Well done to all involved.

Choreography

Choreography by Charlie Rowlands

My goodness Charlie, what you added to this production was invaluable. From the first number (The Brain) it became evident that this was a show whose numbers were going to be exciting and engaging for its audience. The level of synchronicity you have managed to create amongst your dancers was truly impressive. Your choreography was inventive and challenging from the Vaudeville ‘Together Again’ to Transylvanian Mania. You had a troupe of dancers who were very drilled, and they had to be, for such a large number of dancers in such a small space. Enjoyable as all the number were, the highlight for me was ‘Putting on the Ritz’, that was no easy tap routine you put in front of the cast. Well done Charlie!

Grandma Addams

Direction by Peter Cottell

Well Peter, clearly you are a man who knows what an audience wants! We want to be drawn into a fiction; be amused, and in at least a small way, be envious that we are not on the stage having the best time, along with the rest of the cast! And that my friend, is what you gave us.

Technically, you moved your cast around the stage effectively creating pleasant stage pictures. You used the trucks and props and lighting that your tech crew have provided you, in a creative way. All very pleasing and for a company who are this professional, all to be expected.

What was more exciting for me, was more intangible – it was the love for the material and the sense of fun that came out of every pore of everyone on stage. That kind of ‘buy-in’ has to be nurtured and encouraged and that can only be done by the person who links them all together- you Peter.

Young Frankenstein, is a film that I watched dozens of times in my youth. Indeed I can quote freely from it, your production has not diminished that memory of Gene Wilder and his crew, in fact your production has made me look back on it with renewed fondness. Thank you.

Dr Frederick Frankenstein played by Tom Carron

Tom, you look as at home on a stage as any actor I have seen or worked with.

Clearly this is where you belong.

Your performance was chock full of confidence and technical ability. The thing I enjoyed most about your work, was your energy level. This is a piece that must bowl along, giving the audience very little time to think about how silly it is, except, when you want them to realise how silly it is! Moments of ‘meta theatre’. The high energy level at which you set about your performance was exactly what was needed. Your commitment and ability in the numbers was a joy to behold, I loved the duet with Igor (Together again) and of course the big number ‘putting on the Ritz’, Boy can you tap! You gave us a memorable piece of work Tom, a performance of which you should be proud.

Inga played by Louise Cottell

This role could so easily hit the wrong note. Inga’s dialogue is so strewn with double entendres that it could easily become crass or tacky. Thankfully Louise you knew better than to play those lines for laughs. It was the absolute innocence with which you delivered those double entendres, unaware of the alternative meanings, (while the audience was very aware!) that made them all the more effective & funny. Clearly you sing like a dream and nailed the very difficult yodelling, you also dance like an angel, but it was your comic timing that crowned your performance, well done!

Frau Blucher played by Ruth Harries

This was a pleasing performance Ruth, you conveyed the comic book spookiness of the character very well and drew every ounce of comic value from your number. I could see what you were trying to achieve with the pace of delivery that you chose, but for me it was a little too mono-paced. Audiences need pace variation to maintain engagement with the dialogue.

Igor played by Chris Sterry

Chris, I loved what you did on that stage. You gave us a perfectly judged balance between the caricature and a character who was actually credible. It would have been so easy to have gone too far down the caricature route. I thought your delivery of the throwaway/deadpan/naturalistic lines – ‘what hump, I don’t know what you’re talking about’ for example – was perfection. It was exactly the meta theatrical treatment that Mel Brooks would have been looking for, in the show he has created as not only a pastiche but an homage to a genre he loved. Your stylistic delivery of the vaudeville ‘Together Again’ was just right. I thought that you maintained the physicality very well whether in dialogue or in a number. Very well done, Chris.

Elizabeth Benning played by Amber Mears-Brown

Amber, you struck just the right note in the first scene, playing Elizabeth as the extremely shallow facile character that she is. But you displayed more depth with your fabulous rendition of ‘Please don’t touch me’ and ‘deep love’. You have a lovely voice with a great range. I thought you handled the ravaging scene very well, and it is a credit to your performance that we wanted you to live happily ever after with the monster – you and Frederick were clearly not meant for each other. Well done Amber.

Inspector Hans Kemp played by Ryan McKenzie

Well done Ryan, Kemp can be a difficult character to maintain throughout the performance. You managed this remarkably well. Never did your fake hand move unless you moved with the other one and the awkward walk was never dropped. You coped with this added difficulty during the numbers very well, maintaining your physicality while dancing and singing with confidence. A very pleasing performance.

The Monster played by Rob Ridd

Very well done Rob, maintaining that stiff movement is not easy but you managed very well. I thought you handled the ‘Putting on the Ritz’ number with aplomb, displaying an admirable sense of comic timing. I thought the change that occurs once the transference is complete was beautifully handled, underplayed to achieve the utmost comic effect. Very well done.

The Hermit played by Greg Morris

This is a character who is written for one thing and one thing only, that is to enable the set piece physical comedy scene (Lazzo), of the Monster getting hit, burnt and thoroughly abused. Mel Brooks paying homage to the silent comedy era here. The comedy is all the more effective because the injuries to the monster are caused absolutely without malice. I thought you had a brave attempt at the blindness of the character and like so many of your fellow cast members wrung every ounce of comic value from your number. Well played Greg.

The Ensemble

Here’s the thing – a show can have exceptional lead performances, and they will attract plaudits from audiences, but what will make an entire production successful is ----TEAMWORK! The over-riding impression I get from this company is that Teamwork is an essential ingredient. During all of the group scenes from the very beginning of the show (The Brain) the synchronicity was admirable. The villagers and passing bystanders all had their own back story. I would urge a touch of caution on this point though. Be careful that your individual story does not become a little too enthusiastic. The work of the ensemble should add colour & context to the fiction being played out by the main storytellers, if the ensemble draw the audience’s focus from that main fiction, some salient points may be lost. Having said that, this ensemble were great, the choral speaking section (very difficult) was handled beautifully and the large dance numbers were spectacular. So I say a heartfelt ‘Well Done’ to you all.

I commend you as a company for tackling this show in such an energetic & professional manner, I think Mel Brooks would approve! I’m sure that you will all have learned a great deal during the journey from rehearsal to performance. Thank you so much for your welcome and hospitality and I REALLY look forward to seeing you again soon.

Mike Clark

Young Frankenstein is a musical version of Mel Brooke’s 1974 classic comedy horror of the same name, itself a parody of the horror film genre, especially various 1930s adaptations of Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein. It tells the story of Frederick Frankenstein, grandson of the original Victor Frankenstein who inherits his Transylvanian castle and returns there, eventually re-creating his grandfather’s work, but with hilarious results! The musical version did not appear on Broadway until 2007, and the West End until 2017 and it is this ’London’ version I believe was performed here.  The musical follows the story and script in the original film version quite closely. 

We were both quite excited about seeing your production – one of us because we are a huge fan of the film and the other because it was all completely new. We do apologise for coming on the opening night – it was the only night we could make and as Directors and performers ourselves we know probably wasn’t your preference – suffice to say we really enjoyed your production and had a great night!

There is a reasonable performing area at The Redgrave Theatre, but with some limitations in terms of wing space and flying - but you made great use of what you had available. The decision for mobile scenery on trucks was a good one and the quality of these was excellent – particularly Frankenstein’s study with revolving bookcase, the laboratory equipment and the elevating Monster’s trolley was a triumph. Having scenes in front of the tabs while you set behind really helped the pace of the show too, as did the use of the rear curtain.  It would be fair to say that the stage crew probably needed another night to get all of the set changes spot on, but it did fit in with the comic nature of the production and did not affect the enjoyment of the show at all. 

The lighting design and application was excellent too and was a real feature of the production. No trick was unused to create the right atmosphere – from moving heads, to haze and an air blower, LED bars and a little projection. There was a good use of colouring too, often using the rear cyclorama too and with a willingness to transform effects within songs to maintain interest. Floor lighting created suitable ‘spooky’ effects and some great shadows in ‘the villager scenes and during the tap routine in the iconic ‘Putting on the Ritz’. The electricity effects generated for the re-animation scene were excellent too. Follow-spots were well used, with the restricted space available. Cueing was well-controlled. You did as well as you could with the ‘fire’ effects to frighten the monster, though perhaps some simple stage pyrotechnic effects, such as flash-pots may have enhanced this further and made it more obvious for the audience. Overall, the lighting was a real triumph!

The sound was generally very good too. Balance with the band was maintained really well, never overpowering or being overpowered by the Chorus and the Principals. Radio microphone management had near perfect cueing and control. Sound effects were well-used and of a good standard, with the occasional first-night mis-cue, but overall the sound was excellent in the production.

The costumes were wide-ranging and of a good standard, from the 1930’s clothing at the start through to the traditional German attire for the villagers and song and dance wear. Principal costumes all worked well. The horses were genius – we loved them!!  Hair and make-up needs were heavy, particularly with the Monster who looked really effective – both monstrous and slightly daft at the same time!

In reviewing the principal performances:

• Frederick Frankenstein (Tom Carron). A thoroughly enjoyable performance – well-sung, acted and danced, with enough of your own content and a little Gene Wilder too.  Very well done.

• Igor (Chris Sterry). Charming and great fun, you could sing and dance too. A lovely performance.

• Frau Blücher (Ruth Harries).  Not quite sure how you kept your dead-pan expression with everything else going on, but you did!  You performed this difficult role really well.

• Inga (Louise Cottell).  A really nice performance. You sang and performed well and we loved your ‘Roll in the Hay’. You could perhaps have been even sassier with Frankenstein in ‘Listen to your Heart’, but a great  returning performance overall.

• Elizabeth Benning (Amber Mears-Brown). What an incredible voice. You sang your numbers brilliantly!

• Inspector Hans Kemp (Ryan McKenzie).  An excellent performance – your characterisation was incredible and your control of your mechanical limbs was both hilarious and equally impressive.

• The Monster (Rob Ridd).  You were able to brilliantly express a full range of emotions in this part, largely through mime. Your facial expressions in ‘Deep love’ with Elizabeth were incredible – and you could tap too!!  A great performance.

• The Hermit (Greg Morris) You performed your song ‘Someone’ really well and your scene with The Monster was great fun. Very well done.

The supporting cast were great in the ensemble – there was not a massive amount for them to do in the show, but where there was, they were always acting and supporting the overall performance.

The Choreography was well-executed and pitched at the right level for those involved. The tap routine for ‘Putting on the Ritz’ was particularly impressive and most enjoyable. The chorus singing was very good too. The music itself throughout the production was well-controlled and well-executed and a key part of the whole production.

In summary, this was a great production from BAOS.  Young Frankenstein is not a musical performed that often and so it was great to see it undertaken so well. The performance had some very strong production qualities which the performances of the actors, singers and dancers were able to match. 

Very well done to everyone involved for a great opening night. It was great to see the theatre so full and with such an enthusiastic audience too and we hope the rest of your performances were as successful as this oner too.

PLEASE NOTE:

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what he sees at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance and it is inevitable that his assessment will be effected by that knowledge.

The N.O.D.A. Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular the performance viewed.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances, and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.