LITTLE ME to August 30th 2007
LITTLE ME
Book by Neil Symon, Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Music by Cy Coleman
Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AH to 30th August 2007
Tue-Thu 7:30pm
Runs 2hrs 40 mins One interval
www.thebloomsbury.com
www.nymt.org.uk
Review: Geoff Ambler 28 August 2007
Again the NYMT achieve another production with endless delights and talent aplenty. Hilarity ensues!
Little Me is quite simply an hilarious musical complete with overacting, understatement, great songs and so much fun. In the hands of the NYMT team and Artistic Director Caroline Leslie Little Me becomes more than the sum of its parts; an evening of endless hilarity and outstanding performances from so many of the West Ends next generation.
The show enacts the reminiscences of Belle, performed in a Joan Riversesque style with endless imagination by Lucy Borne, as she recounts the tall tales of her life and many previous marriages over four decades. Having over seventy named characters means the cast of thirty five youths get stretched in many directions and all enjoy numerous opportunities to shine and make an impression.
Sarah Hagen as Young Belle is worked hard and brings a fine musical talent, vivacity and a captivating stage presence to a cast already bursting with energy, ability and enthusiasm. Sarah impresses in every scene and her solo Poor Little Hollywood Star helps marks Ms Hagen as someone to watch out for; Dom Hodson’s Nobel, all buoyant humour and bright smiles, helps make his endless supercilious arrogance an endearing quality; Joe Mott as Val Du Val steals every scene, with a display of comic stagecraft that belies his years and his Boom Boom is one of many highs.
Even after a limited rehearsal period the cast handle the choreography professionally and the dance numbers look very impressive with the large cast obviously enjoying themselves.
The NYMT continue to cast some of the most capable and enthusiastic talents around and it is always exciting watching these youths display skills that are already impressive and will only improve. If they can carry the electricity and passion they bought to Little Me, through their careers then theatregoers have a treat in store.
While there will undoubtedly be many bigger budget revivals of Little Me to come, but there will be few finer productions than this one, as again Caroline Leslie brings the best from the finest young musical talents around.
Announcer/1st Val Girl: Aretha Ayeh
Butler/Sergeant/1st Justice: Aidan Crawford
2nd Val Girl: Georgia Bliss
Bartender/Preacher/Yulnik: Edward Currie
Older Belle: Lucy Borne
Kleeg/Doctor: Roger Dipper
1st Dough Girl/Val’s Nurse: Alice Brown
4th Val Girl: Rhiannon Douty
Assistant Director: Hanna Brunt
Momma: Louisa Farrant
Pinchley’s Nurse: Holly-Charlotte Carter
George/1st Sailor: Greg Fossard
Bernie/1st Soldier: Jack Chard
Patrick Dennis: Mark Gillon
Junior/Benny: Jonah Cook
Ramona: Sophie Griffiths
Belle: Sarah Fagan
Miss Kemp/3rd Girl: Lucy Miller
Golf pro/Fred/2nd Sailor: Jack Harrison
Val du Val: Joe Mott
Pinchley/General/Captain/Pancho: Alyn Hawke
Operator: Kathleen Nance
German Soldier/Prince: Sam Hayward
Mrs Eggleston: Eve Ponsonby
Noble: Dom Hodson
2nd Dough Girl: Naomi Rogers
Court Woman: Amee Karlstrom
Brucey/Defence Lawyer/Schnitzler/2nd Justice: Richard Southgate
Secretary: Milli Karlstrom
2nd Girl/Number’s Woman: Phoebe Sparrow
Colette: Siobhan Madden
3rd Val Girl: Katie Thomas
Newsboy/2nd Soldier/2nd Steward: Alex McGeary
3rd Dough Girl: Imelda Warren-Green
Salesman/3rd Soldier/Victor: Callum McIntyre
Director: Caroline Leslie
Musical Director: Dan Swana
Designed by: Karen McKeown
Choreography: Lee Crowley
Lighting: Sally Ferguson
2007-09-03 08:47:01