Reviewed by Larraine Ball
April 2010
This very witty and fast moving play by Neil Simons showcases the music of Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics of Carole Bayer Sager whilst also being based on the not all smooth sailing relationship between the pair.
Director/Choreographer Max Rayner made a very fine job of putting this show together. The pace was fast enough to keep the audience interested without destroying the mood of each scene and the humour was highlighted nicely with great comic timing instilled into the staging. The only problems (and these were only minor) came during the dancing with some overcrowding on the small stage.
Kim Clark as Vernon Gersch was excellent in the role. He appeared to be very confident and his accent was wonderfully consistent, he also had great comic timing with his line delivery. Fiona DeLaine as Sonia Walsk was delightful, her accent was good, her singing fabulous and she looked gorgeous in her outrageous costumes.
The inner voices chorus played by David Salter, Stephen Jarmen and Tom Bayford for Vernon and Kate Anolak, Lexie Dryden and Vanessa Redmond for Sonia, were great and had a lot of fun although their unison actions needed to improve just a tad, and no doubt did by the end of the run.
Under the direction of MD Mark DeLaine the small orchestra did a marvellous job and kept the audience’s toes tapping and the energy flowing along. The set by Ole Wiebkin was cleverly designed and just kept on unravelling to depict a new scene, the car was particularly ingenious. Set changes were many and accomplished very quickly and with the minimum of fuss, a shame they were done in the dark, it would have been interesting to watch them.
Overall this was a lovely rendition of an old favourite and brought back some nostalgia for the period.
