This year’s Gang Show, under the experienced direction of Darran Swain, had all the exuberance, colour, humour and lightness of touch we have come to expect from this well-established organization. While each year they produce material in the same variety show-cum- review format, somehow they manage to get better at their craft as they have progressed.
What works for them is the blend of comic sketches with song and dance sequences. This time they had a greater tightness of timing over all, especially in their comic dialogue and smooth, efficient set changes.
Several segments were particularly impressive. The opening, set in prehistoric times, was well wrought and choreographed and the large puppet-like dinosaur costumes were a hit. Further, the tight movement and desk-slapping choreography in School Life was very impressive. There were some delightful moments in Life Is A Musical, with the singing of Hold On To Your Dream hitting the right emotional note. The Scouting and Guiding segment, matched with the Romeo and Juliet story, was a clever and topical idea, while Bogan Wedding, the extended segment which closed the first half, was funny, lively and cleverly crafted.
While some of the gags and punch lines in the sketches could have been ‘punchier’, the overall impression left by this iteration of the Gang Show was warmly positive. It ended strongly, as always, with a good selection of big musical numbers.
Finally, the whole enterprise is a worthy example of young people sharing various – often leading – roles in developing and producing a major musical and theatrical production. This year’s show illustrates that admirably.
