Review by Chris Kelly, Casting Assistant & Theatre Director
Walking into Swinton High School it is clear that the place is not flashy or expensively furnished like some arts colleges I have attended in the past- however the warm welcome received and the respectful way the students and staff regarded each other both within the ‘Globe’ and in the corridors is testament to the teamwork and support for each other evident in the show I watched that evening.
It was also a pleasure to read the programme and was clear that it was a combined effort utilising student and staff talent – I was really pleased to see that some of the students had written from their perspective on the experience of the audition/ rehearsal and performance process. I could have gone on reading these all night and printing costs permitting it would have been great to read more of them.
The casting of the show was clever as it utilised the strengths of some of the clearly talented leading cast members whilst also giving opportunity to others.
Bernardo and Anita’s physical agility and sophistication were matched by their confidence, flair and passion in communicating the high emotion of story.
Maria and the rest of the sharks coped admirably with the Puerto Rican accents – which are not the easiest to sustain, but marked them apart from the jets. Although Tony clearly was not well, he did not struggle with the technical difficulties of songs such as Maria, Could be and Tonight, he made the songs plausible and truthful through his touching delivery and genuine sincerity.
Riff also demonstrated an effortless skill in delivery and a natural and easy-going approach to the leadership role. His girlfriend was also characterfully played by Rhian Corcoran chewing gum and pouting vacantly throughout.
For concentration, focus and understanding of the character, I felt that Lennard McCarthy’s portrayal of ‘Action’ was outstanding and consistent throughout each scene he played. He was well cast and approached the character with professionalism, owning it on stage.
There were also several cameo performances and vignettes within the rest of the cast who caught my eye, their job being especially difficult as they may have had fewer or no lines but were constantly ‘acting’ and reacting to the central character’s action. The cast should be proud of themselves for this alone- as it takes an especially supportive team to achieve this.
To name only a few of those who shone; the dance master played by Rory Wheeler, showed comic potential and again a genuine understanding of his characters motivations.
Doc played by Anthony Evans, who brought variation, strength and conviction to his character’s complicated standpoint.
Also watch out for the girl in the pink and white stripy skirt for sustained concentration in her reactions and the girl in the polka dot scarf who came to life with aplomb during ‘I feel pretty’.
The solo vocals which reprised and reflected the scenes were a great opportunity for us to witness further talents within the ensemble cast. The varied tempo of the musical performances allowed further individuals to shine in such songs as ‘I like to be in America’ and ‘Cool & ‘Krupke’.
The fight scenes were physically spectacular, cleverly choreographed, and it is clear that the cast as a whole have a keenness and athletic capacity to convey and express powerfully in this area. The space on stage was used to it is optimum and often the performers did well in what was a restrictive space for so many people.
It was clear the entire cast had an understanding of the nature of divided communities and the way this can cause misery and unnecessary loss. They demonstrated the relevance of the themes of this for them and made the concerns a reality for us as the audience. Despite the divisions of the characters however, it was clear the cast have a fondness for each other which belied those divisions acted out on stage.
At the close of the, show – the reprise of ‘Somewhere’ was very moving, both in reflection of the events of the show and also in the demonstration of pride with which the performers asserted themselves and their work to the audience.
The show is clearly the conclusion of a lot of hard work and dedication by so many and you should all be proud of yourselves for a fantastic Christmas show. Despite the show being sad, I went away feeling warmed by the experience of seeing so many young people working together to achieve something wonderful. Congratulations folks.