“Annie” what a pleasant surprise it was quality escapism, the whole production was excellent. As a cynic, I had studiously avoided Annie over the years, but due to circumstance, I found myself at the theatre last night and was completely enthralled within minutes.
The characters of Annie are compelling, most of all of course was Annie with her needed brave exterior and soft centre with every child’s need to be wanted and loved. This same need is present too in Oliver ‘daddy’ Warbucks.
In musicals the songs are obviously pivotal, the lyrics telling the story, ‘It’s a Hardknock Life’, ‘Tomorrow’, ‘Easy life’, the cast did the score credit as did their dance routines, both professional and charming. The set and scene changes as well as the lighting were impressive and added to the overall enjoyment, I particularly liked the train with two of the orphans riding across the stage when Annie changed location.
Annie and the orphans are being played by three separate teams, last night it was team Rockefeller, our ‘Annie’ was on top form last night as was little Molly, who was just delightful.
The audience loved it when we first got to see Sandy the labradoodle, the stray dog that Annie befriends, who every now and then would obediently streak across the stage. Lesley Joseph as Mrs Hannigan, the drunk caretaker of the orphanage girls was supposedly a villain however it seemed last night Lesley was having too much fun to be scary. Rooster her conman brother played by Jonny Fines was my favourite character, completely full on, such a memorable number in ‘Easy Street’.
America, New York needed an inspiration in the 1930’s during the depression, a character like the energetic Annie’s could have been behind Mr Roosevelt renewed optimism, of his ‘new deal’ based on the rhetoric ‘relief, recovery and reform’.
Was Nottingham inspired last night? Well in the interval in the ladies loos, they were all singing an impromptu rendition of ‘tomorrow’, me included.
See this enriching energised ‘Annie’ in Nottingham till Saturday 26th including two matinees.
www.trch.co.uk/index.aspx?articleid=29959
Review by Ann Taylor
