Reviewed by Richard Lane
September 2013
“Hail hail the gang’s all here.” And at Scott Theatre on opening night, they certainly were. What a logistical enterprise it must have been for Performing Arts Director Darran Swain. It was certainly worth the effort as the show was a night of tremendous entertainment aimed cleverly at a younger audience.
A tried and true formula, born of Gang Show tradition over 52 previous seasons, worked wonders. The formula goes like this. Take a bunch of enthusiastic Scouting youngsters who are keen to produce their very best talents, a pop –rock band, a crew of 120 , some fantastic costumes, lots of good choreography and a few funny sketches and there you have it! It mattered not a tittle or a jot on opening night that a few lines were fluffed, and the band didn’t always come in on cue, and that some of the scene shifting was occasionally awkward, because the essentially young audience (plus mums and dads of course) didn’t care and loved every moment of it!
Mention must be made of the costumes, cobbled together by a 22- strong team of clever seamstresses, particularly those in the final bracket in Act1, entitled Office. The band was fine, but was occasionally too big for the young voices.
Act 11 really ramped up the action, particularly “Tradies” which was a riot. So too was “Finale” which included some terrific numbers such as Don’t Stop Believing, Wonderful Life and Start of Something.The skits which interspersed the musical numbers, were for the most part, quite funny.
It is impractical and perhaps not quite appropriate to single out specific performers as standouts, so let it be said that these wonderful young performers all gave their very best.
Long may the Adelaide Gang Show reign.
