Spirit of Fame lives forever

By Marion Cox – Dorset Echo

FAME FOREVER, Weymouth Pavilion

A RARE opportunity to present a premiere production of a major musical has not been wasted on Weymouth Operatic Society who have pulled out all the stops with this sequel to David de Silva’s 1980s smash hit Fame.

Fast forward from 1984 to 2004 and the former students of the Fame high school are being invited to a reunion, all except the star student Carmen who died from a drugs overdose in the original story.

But as the song says, I’m going to live forever’ so Carmen is right there along with her mentor Michael, another occupant of the spirit world who together gatecrash the build–up to the reunion party and stick around the whole time to see how the latest recruits are doing.

As the new young wannabees jostle for attention and acclaim, the now middle–aged 1984 students tell their own stories of learning to live with disappointment and occasional glory in the world of showbusiness.

Meanwhile the school is rehearsing a production of West Side Story and rivalry among the students for starring roles leads to predictable tensions in a toe–curling storyline that trots out every cliché in the book, saved only by the excellent performances of the young cast.

Director and choreographer Julie Storey has succeeded brilliantly in staging what is in fact a showpiece for dancers, linked with some songs, production numbers and a feeble plot.

Laura Greenway and Sophie Easthope give superb performances as the rival students for the affections of Lewis Asquith as the boyfriend while Shakira Brading is wonderfully poignant as Carmen with Will Dennick as her spirit companion.

Showpiece dance numbers dominate this show and the young cast are fortunate in being supported by a particularly fine orchestra under the baton of Matthew Reed who copes with rock, mambo, opera and rap with consummate ease.

Weymouth Operatic Society has bravely taken a new direction with this fast moving, up–to–the–minute show and its cast of young singers and dancers. They are to be congratulated for grasping a unique opportunity that will hopefully propel the Society into new and exciting projects in the future.

The production continues for the rest of the week.

REVEALING THE STOREY SO FAR

A Weymouth Dancer and musical theatre student has won one of 50 places in a giant audition of 750 budding actors at a Fame–style college in Essex.

Rachel Storey will be asked to join the three–year diploma course at Performers College in Corringham later next year.

The college has a reputation of securing jobs in the West End and into the music and film areas for its students.

Rachel had to take part in a one–day series of auditions in acting, dance and singing. She has had a helping hand from her mother Julie, a teacher and director who runs her own dance school herself, called Let’s Dance, in Weymouth.

From the age of two Rachel has been treading the boards starting with June Hornby’s Weymouth Dance School.

Over the years she has gained stage jobs backing The Cheeky Girls and Rick Waller as well as in numerous pantos, cabarets and dance shows in the county.

My Fair Lady

SUPERB SHOW IS JUST LOVER–LEY

There cannot be many people for whom this show is a new experience, yet the cast of Weymouth Operatic Society’s production still managed to draw genuine joy and rapturous applause from the audience on opening night.

Wonderful songs, lavish costumes and a witty script all go to make this one of the most memorable shows of all time and this production maintains the high standards for which the society has justly become well known.

Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, upon which the show is based, is the tale of a cockney lass who, as a bet, is trained to speak like a lady and presented at court by a professor of linguistics.

The musical gives a twist to the original play by creating a highly unlikely romance out of their relationship, something which would have infuriated Shaw. However, thanks to Geoff King’s brilliant portrayal of the acerbic Professor Higgins, the love interest becomes surprisingly believable.

As the ‘squashed cabbage’ flower girl Eliza, a spirited Naomi Riglar proves to be a match for her misogynist tutor and her transformation from ugly duckling to elegant swan is beautifully done. And if her London accent is not quite fully developed, her lovely singing voice makes her a first class choice for the role.

With broad comedy in the safe hands of Richard Casely as Eliza’s father, there is no shortage of laughter with songs like With a Little Bit of Luck while William Adams lends his fine baritone voice to On the Street Where You Live in the role of besotted suitor Freddy.

Excellent support comes from Martin Fiddick as Colonel Pickering, Kath Shayler as the housekeeper and Dorenne Fowler as Mrs Higgins in a lively show whose many scene changes keep everyone on their toes throughout.

Musical direction flagged a little at the start of the second act but under the guidance of Peter Standing, things thankfully picked up again for the rest of the evening.

Special praise should also go to choreographer Julie Storey who was invited to take over the reins as director when the original director was forced to quit due to other commitments. She has proved to be a winner for the society in general and this show in particular.

Finally, the sight of cockney can-can dancers on the streets of Edwardian London seem a little improbable, the enthusiasm and energy of the whole cast should overcome any scruples which may be held by purists in the audience.

My Fair Lady, Weymouth Pavilion
Review by Marion Cox, Dorset Evening Echo, Thursday 28th September 2006

Me and My Girl

CEREMONY ENDS ON A HIGH NOTE

Singers were on a high after winning plaudits at an awards ceremony. Members of Weymouth Operatic Society received an Accolade of Excellence award for their production of Me and My Girl at the Pavilion Theatre in September last year.

They won the honour at the recent National Operatic and Dramatic Association southern area annual awards ceremony in Ferndown.

Society Chairman Geoff King and Me and My Girl director Julie Storey received the award from NODA area representative John Cummings.

Dorset Evening Echo, Thursday August 17th 2006