youth theatre

 'Gypsy'

July 2009
Beechurst Hall, Soham Village College - 7.30pm

 Review

It is 50 years since Stephen Sondheim and Jule Styne’s ‘Gypsy’ took Broadway and musical theatre by storm. One of the great musicals, the book was by Arthur Laurents, based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, it tells the story of Rose, the ultimate show business mother.Rose will cajole, bully, borrow, steal, go to any lengths to make her children, first June and then Louise, the star that she might have been, except she was ‘born too soon and started too late.’

A year ago, Susannah Martin was ‘Annie’ and still only 14 years old she took on the demanding role of Rose. Rose sings the major hits of the show ‘Some People’, ‘Small World’, Everything’s Coming up Roses’ and ‘Rose’s Turn’. Rose demands a big performance and Susannah Martin gave it that and more. It was a bravura performance of astonishing maturity that dominated the stage. She totally inhabited the character with an intense energy and powerful singing voice.

She was very well- supported by Jack Shorney as Herbie, who loves Rose, becomes the agent for her act, but ultimately, like everyone else in Rose’s life leaves her. Rose’s daughters June and Louise are first seen as child performers where Laura Day was the epitome of the awful spoilt child star, sympathetically helped by Rebecca Storey as Louise.

The older June was confidently played by Naomi Rogers, while Robyn Howe transformed herself from the quiet, apologetic Louise, who thought she had no talent to the assertive Gypsy Rose Lee, in a beautifully judged performance.

One of the second act highlights ‘You Gotta have a Gimmick’ was given the full comedy treatment by three Viva stalwarts Karina Locke, Lucy Bell and Mollie Shaw. Talented boy dancers are not easy to find, but Rory Gilmour was delightfully nimble footed as Tulsa in ‘All I Need is a Girl’. Nice cameo performances came from Charlie Ellerton, Phillip Evans, Emily Robinson, Molly Gilroy, Elise Gallois and Charlie Gillett.

The chorus work in Gypsy does not give any big ensemble numbers but the older dancers and singers worked well together with Caitlin Wells catching the eye as Yonkers. The younger members of the chorus were obviously having great fun especially in the Toreadorables number that opens the second act.

Katherine Hickmott and Karen Revill’s choreography gave neat variety to the Baby June and Baby Louise routines, which were essentially very similar, except for the addition of the cow. Lynn Quelch’s colourful costumes and a number of simple, effective sets, well lit by Nigel Thompson and very efficiently changed, set the scenes for the action. Graham Brown’s musical direction of one of the largest pit bands seen for a Viva show gave full treatment to Jule Styne’s music.

‘Gypsy’ was a huge challenge for Director Simon Thompson to take on with the younger Viva members; that they pulled it off is a credit to all the talent in the company and the teamwork that makes a show.

Mike Rouse

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