Review by Fran Edwards
October 2010
Any amateur company that is brave enough to attempt something fresh and new deserves kudos, and Batboy is certainly new and different! Not everything in this production works, but there is enough to make it well worth a visit. Tammy Papps has put together a tight ensemble and Kerry Hauber’s fun choreography adds to the kitsch feel.
On opening night the sound balance had not been established enough to allow all the lyrics to be heard and I suspect this was a shame as those which were audible were amusing. Diction was also lacking at times and in some places it was difficult to be sure of why a scene was happening, where does Pan fit in?
None the less there are some very good performances not the least of which is Mark Stefanoff in the title role. Although I find it impossible to think of him as scary, Stefanoff moves well and portrays the gamut of emotions required by this role.
Michelle Nightingale gave the standout performance as the mother, her voice get better all the time and she displays excellent comic timing. Other fine performances and vocals come from Adam Harrison as the father and Lucy Ellis as their daughter.
In general all of the cast do well with great support coming from Jethro Pidd, Karen Sheldon, Linsay Prodea and James Reed. There are also some good lighting effects, but the sound quality was disappointing.
Director Andy Aherns made some interesting choices, but with an unfamiliar script it is hard to judge if they are good or bad. The genre is reminiscent of the style of Little Shop of Horrors (without the great score). Maybe the problem is the script as I did not find any of the tunes memorable, however most of the performances are.
