The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of South Australia have tackled this Stephen Sondheim play that was initially not well received into a classic with a lot of vigour in the presentation that is delivered backwards. That is to say the show opens with the ending and the finale with the start. It traces back the relationship between the three main characters from 1976 to 1957 and introduces a lot of other friends and acquaintances and the parts they have played that have influenced them throughout their musical endeavors.
The Director Matt Smith has a cast of twenty to deal with and has enabled the show to go seamlessly from scene to scene without a hitch. Matt also designed the sets which are a feature of this production such as when the sets were changed the action on stage did not stop and became part of the choreography: cleverly done by Lucy Newman.
The role of Franklin Shepard was tackled with undeniable talent by Nicholas Munday who I had the pleasure of reviewing in the past when he played the role of Marius in Les Miserables. His voice was backed up with his movements which showed off his stage craft and interaction with other cast members. He was ably supported by Dean Martino-Williams as Charley Kringas who was once Frank’s closest friend but they grew apart and Charley became the frustrated lyricist. He blew up while being interviewed in NBC studios with an outburst that stunned Frank, the interviewer and the audience. A memorable piece of theatre. The other member of the original three, Mary Flynn played by Serena Cann showed off her acting talent in an inebriated state in act I (1976) to her meeting Frank for the first time at the end of act II (1957). Her duets with Frank ‘That Frank’ then with Charley singing ‘Like it Was’ showcased her overall stage ability.
There was not a weak link in the entire cast led by Bec Pynor as the conniving overbearing Gussie Carnegie. All members had their time in the spotlight and the change in time was easily identified by Ryan Ricci as Joe Josephson who transformed from a down-and-out looking for a handout to being a successful cigar smoking producer.
The fifteen piece orchestra conducted by Matthew Rumley added significantly to the overall performance with the co-ordination between the performers being exact. The volume allowed the audience to clearly hear the singers. All of the production crew contributed in no small amount to the success of this show. If you like musicals with some action and a story do not miss this production.
Photo credit: Matt Ralph
