REVIEW
Scrooge
Southend Operatic and Dramatic Society
Scrooge
Southend Operatic and Dramatic Society
Southend Operatic & Dramatic Society certainly made a wise decision in choosing Scrooge! to perform this week. It may still only be November but this year more than ever the majority of us are eager to welcome the Christmas spirit into our hearts and Scrooge! certainly delivers this, in more ways than one.
The goosebumps begin at the get go with the SODS' ensemble showing off some beautiful harmonies in the opening number and they continue to impress throughout, not least in December the 25th at the Fezziwig's Christmas gathering, with a nice bit of jigging along for good measure and some simple but effective choreography from Sarah-Rose Dunn.
Les Cannon does a nice job in the role of the old miser, Ebeneezer Scrooge, a skinflint of magnified proportions who is ever reluctant to part with his cash. He gives, I feel, a rather understated performance initially but this gathers in momentum as the show goes on. His final song, I'll Begin Again really shows him at his best.
There were Beetle Juice vibes in Ross Howard's characterisation as Jacob Marley not least with the slightly surreal number Make the Most of this World where he is accompanied by phantom dancers.
Jennifer Stacey and Jess Byford both do great jobs in their roles of the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present. The creative team made the decision to make the Ghost of Christmas Present a female role and Jess has made the part her own, making her perhaps more Barbra Windsor than Brian Blessed. She works a nice bit of comedy into the role which went down well with the audience. Jennifer gave a sweet performance as the Ghost of Christmas Past and provided some lovely vocals in Love While You Can.
Amber Satchwell and Lee Keremezo were particularly enchanting as Isabel and young Ebeneezer during the Happiness number.
Ewan Dunlop darts in and out with some lovely Tommy Steele-like performances during his numbers and the whole ensemble shine in what is probably the most popular and most remembered song of the show, Thank You Very Much.
Bob Cratchit, the hard done by employee of Scrooge, is nicely played by John Staines as is George Rowe playing Scrooge's nephew. The children in the cast, Alyssia De Santis, Eleanor Johnson, Poppy Pearson and Joshua West fit in well on the large stage with their adult contemporaries and give very confident performances. A little star in the making must surely be Sanjay Madhusudhanan as Tiny Tim, who broke all our hearts with his rendition of This Beautiful Day. Not a dry eye...
Directors, Jonny Buxton and Maddy Lahna have done well to get this show up on stage, despite the sparseness of the scenery in this production, there is colour and intrigue imagined through lighting techniques as well as great use of sound effects within ghostly scenes and scene changes. This production has a certain eeriness to it and you will certainly jump a few times with the ghostly goings on. You can never fail to be moved by Ebeneezer's redemption from cold hearted miser to a happy, Christmas loving and charitable second father to Tiny Tim having learned the error of his ways through the guidance of the spirits who show him what could have been.
The cast not only sound great but look fantastic too. Costumes are outstanding all round. Glenda Durant and her team have done an excellent job here.
Hats off also to Stage Manager, Matt Brown, who must be kept on his toes throughout with constant scene changes; although perhaps it would have been an idea to have backstage crew also dressed in period costume too so as not to distract too much from the action on stage.
MD, James Green, conducts an orchestra that provide a great sound considering their small number.
Big congratulations to Southend Operatic & Dramatic Society for giving audiences a chance to see them back on stage and in fine voice once again. Not only is Scrooge their 100th show, this year they also celebrate the fact that it was 100 years ago that their very first show took place at the Palace Theatre. I think there could be a big party at the end of this run?
SCROOGE! runs from November 24-27 at the Palace Theatre, London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, with evening performances at 7.30pm. There are 2.30pm matinee performances on November 25 and 27.
The goosebumps begin at the get go with the SODS' ensemble showing off some beautiful harmonies in the opening number and they continue to impress throughout, not least in December the 25th at the Fezziwig's Christmas gathering, with a nice bit of jigging along for good measure and some simple but effective choreography from Sarah-Rose Dunn.
Les Cannon does a nice job in the role of the old miser, Ebeneezer Scrooge, a skinflint of magnified proportions who is ever reluctant to part with his cash. He gives, I feel, a rather understated performance initially but this gathers in momentum as the show goes on. His final song, I'll Begin Again really shows him at his best.
There were Beetle Juice vibes in Ross Howard's characterisation as Jacob Marley not least with the slightly surreal number Make the Most of this World where he is accompanied by phantom dancers.
Jennifer Stacey and Jess Byford both do great jobs in their roles of the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present. The creative team made the decision to make the Ghost of Christmas Present a female role and Jess has made the part her own, making her perhaps more Barbra Windsor than Brian Blessed. She works a nice bit of comedy into the role which went down well with the audience. Jennifer gave a sweet performance as the Ghost of Christmas Past and provided some lovely vocals in Love While You Can.
Amber Satchwell and Lee Keremezo were particularly enchanting as Isabel and young Ebeneezer during the Happiness number.
Ewan Dunlop darts in and out with some lovely Tommy Steele-like performances during his numbers and the whole ensemble shine in what is probably the most popular and most remembered song of the show, Thank You Very Much.
Bob Cratchit, the hard done by employee of Scrooge, is nicely played by John Staines as is George Rowe playing Scrooge's nephew. The children in the cast, Alyssia De Santis, Eleanor Johnson, Poppy Pearson and Joshua West fit in well on the large stage with their adult contemporaries and give very confident performances. A little star in the making must surely be Sanjay Madhusudhanan as Tiny Tim, who broke all our hearts with his rendition of This Beautiful Day. Not a dry eye...
Directors, Jonny Buxton and Maddy Lahna have done well to get this show up on stage, despite the sparseness of the scenery in this production, there is colour and intrigue imagined through lighting techniques as well as great use of sound effects within ghostly scenes and scene changes. This production has a certain eeriness to it and you will certainly jump a few times with the ghostly goings on. You can never fail to be moved by Ebeneezer's redemption from cold hearted miser to a happy, Christmas loving and charitable second father to Tiny Tim having learned the error of his ways through the guidance of the spirits who show him what could have been.
The cast not only sound great but look fantastic too. Costumes are outstanding all round. Glenda Durant and her team have done an excellent job here.
Hats off also to Stage Manager, Matt Brown, who must be kept on his toes throughout with constant scene changes; although perhaps it would have been an idea to have backstage crew also dressed in period costume too so as not to distract too much from the action on stage.
MD, James Green, conducts an orchestra that provide a great sound considering their small number.
Big congratulations to Southend Operatic & Dramatic Society for giving audiences a chance to see them back on stage and in fine voice once again. Not only is Scrooge their 100th show, this year they also celebrate the fact that it was 100 years ago that their very first show took place at the Palace Theatre. I think there could be a big party at the end of this run?
SCROOGE! runs from November 24-27 at the Palace Theatre, London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, with evening performances at 7.30pm. There are 2.30pm matinee performances on November 25 and 27.
SOUTHEND Operatic and Dramatic Society has cause for a double celebration this month.
Firstly, SODS is returning to the stage after two years when the company presents the family musical SCROOGE! at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea, from November 24-27.
Secondly, the show will be the 100th SODS has staged at the Edwardian theatre, and comes nearly a century after the society’s first production there.
“To say we’re excited to be treading the boards again is an understatement,” said SODS chairman Chris Iddiols. “It seems such a long time ago that we did Rent, but like so many other societies, COVID-19 put all our activities on ice.
“It was fantastic to be able to start rehearsals again this summer and now we can’t wait to get back on stage with SCROOGE!
“It’s packed with great songs, such as Thank You Very Much!, and lots of fun, but also has its darker moments, too.”
The show is closely based on the 1970 film Scrooge, starring Albert Finney, which was adapted from the classic Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol. Written by the late Leslie Bricusse OBE, who also wrote the music and lyrics, SCROOGE! tells the story of miserly money lender Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by four spirits on Christmas Eve in a bid to get the skinflint to change his ways.
Scrooge is taken on a journey to his past, present and future on his path to redemption, accompanied by upbeat ensemble songs and hauntingly beautiful ballads.
Firstly, SODS is returning to the stage after two years when the company presents the family musical SCROOGE! at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea, from November 24-27.
Secondly, the show will be the 100th SODS has staged at the Edwardian theatre, and comes nearly a century after the society’s first production there.
“To say we’re excited to be treading the boards again is an understatement,” said SODS chairman Chris Iddiols. “It seems such a long time ago that we did Rent, but like so many other societies, COVID-19 put all our activities on ice.
“It was fantastic to be able to start rehearsals again this summer and now we can’t wait to get back on stage with SCROOGE!
“It’s packed with great songs, such as Thank You Very Much!, and lots of fun, but also has its darker moments, too.”
The show is closely based on the 1970 film Scrooge, starring Albert Finney, which was adapted from the classic Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol. Written by the late Leslie Bricusse OBE, who also wrote the music and lyrics, SCROOGE! tells the story of miserly money lender Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by four spirits on Christmas Eve in a bid to get the skinflint to change his ways.
Scrooge is taken on a journey to his past, present and future on his path to redemption, accompanied by upbeat ensemble songs and hauntingly beautiful ballads.
SODS veteran Les Cannon plays Scrooge in a production directed by Jonny Buxton and Maddy Lahna, and choreographed by Sarah-Rose Dunn. The musical director is James Green, who will also be conducting the orchestra.
The society’s first show at Palace Theatre was the West End hit The Quaker Girl (pic below) and opened on December 5, 1921. The musical comedy was such a success with audiences that SODS performed it on three other occasions over the years.
SODS continued staging productions at the Palace until 1970, when the society moved to the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend-on-Sea.
That theatre remained SODS’ home until April 2014, when the 131-year-old company returned to the Palace with La Cage Aux Folles.
The society’s first show at Palace Theatre was the West End hit The Quaker Girl (pic below) and opened on December 5, 1921. The musical comedy was such a success with audiences that SODS performed it on three other occasions over the years.
SODS continued staging productions at the Palace until 1970, when the society moved to the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend-on-Sea.
That theatre remained SODS’ home until April 2014, when the 131-year-old company returned to the Palace with La Cage Aux Folles.
SCROOGE! runs from November 24-27 at the Palace Theatre, London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, with evening performances at 7.30pm. There are 2.30pm matinee performances on November 25 and 27.
Tickets are available from the box office on 0343 310 0030, or at www.southendtheatres.org.uk.
Tickets are available from the box office on 0343 310 0030, or at www.southendtheatres.org.uk.