G & S Society: Getting There…
To the Congregational Hall! …on Wednesday evening for another mid-week session with the Wivenhoe Gilbert and Sullivan Society.
Anything Goes!
Which is not only the title for the production that starts the WORLDWIDE run at the William Loveless Hall on 12th March, but also a description that could equally be applied to the fun factor within the Congregational Hall.
Cripes.
A drum roll upon entry, and then a prop of a small dog coming close to stealing the show.
Anything Goes!
Yep, the good folk of Wivenhoe G & S are coming incredibly close to show time. The twice a week rehearsals have been brought forward. No more last minute acting master classes from watching Corrie ahead of the 7:30pm sharp start time.
The live band has doubled since my last Congregational Hall outing. One man and his piano (and very good he is too) have now been joined by some deft light touch jazz drumming. The script contains on average a comedy moment every eight seconds, meaning that a comedy ba-dum-TSH keeps you on your toes.
Heard the one about almost soiling your hot pants?
ba-dum-TSH.
You need to lose any G & S inhibitions to be part of the cast, as well as part of the audience. This is an incredibly camp tongue in cheek show. It’s just about family friendly, but it may take a few blushed birds and bees explanations back at base.
‘Ol Snake Eyes was back doing his womanising on Wednesday evening. Just wait until the smooth talker catches the eye of the ladies at the Willie Loveless Hall. Hot pants don’t even come close.
Added sound effects have also been brought into the production. A rather loud sounding horn seemed appropriate for the physical tension that some of the characters were managing to stir up on within the Congregational Hall.
But beyond all the double entredres and there is an incredibly complex musical production in which to master. You get a sign of how tough the American accents and vocal testing tunes are to master by the genuine applause from other cast members after each song. It really was quite touching to see such a close-knit cast supporting and appreciating one another.
Sauciness and singing aside, the comedy is still king for Anything Goes. I hope I’m not giving too much away when I point towards the piano vomiting moment.
ba-dum-TSH BLUEUGHHHHH etc.
And so less than two weeks until the Willie Loveless Hall show time, and the Wivenhoe G & S Society almost have a show. The next step is to make the tricky transformation from the Congregational Hall to the big stage next door.
Add in the lights, costumes and theatrical possibilities of the Willie Loveless (seriously) and Anything really does Go.
The Wivenhoe G & S Society present Anything Goes from 12th - 16th March. Tickets are on sale at both Post Offices and the Crossways Store.
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