Annie, The Theatre Royal, Brighton
ANNIE, at the Theatre Royal, Brighton, this week, is the Cinderella of musicals and although it wallows in marshmallow corniness, the right kid with the appropriate shaggy-dog companion can blow-dry the cynicism out of anyone.
She of course is the most put-down orphan outside Dickens. Her good fortune is to meet a lonely millionaire, Daddy Warbucks, who has the ear of president Roosevelt no less.
It's 1933 and partly under the influence of Annie's spunk he launches his historic New Deal. There's a bracing score, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics Martin Charnin, one of the best numbers being Annie's Tomorrow.
Director Roger Hannah has also done the choreography for the show and there's a danger at times of the piece losing its innocence and simplicity at the expense of the big glossy dance routines.
Three Annies - Grace Gievey, Chloe Greig and Lydia Tunstall - are sharing the performances. Grace cut an endearing figure the night I went but had a tendency to become shrill when singing. Because of this some of the numbers lacked impact.
David McAlister was a polished and quite youthful Oliver Warbucks; Sue Pollard as the tippling orphanage manager played up the comedy, vamping all the men, and James Gaven made a slippery conman.
The score is well served by musical director John Donovan and his band. And it's the pastiche nature of the score that makes this slight show worth reviving.
Mark Gale
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Weather for Lewes
Thursday 09 February 2012
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