Recently, I was offered tickets to see a production of the musical
Anything Goes by the
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. It's part of their spring season of performances and one of the final shows of their third year students.
 |
The production poster had me tempted before I even
read the synopsis... |
I didn't know anything about the play until I got the invite - I didn't even know
the title song, which surprised a few people - but was immediately interested when I read the description. It's based on a story by P.G. Wodehouse - whom,
as I discovered last year, I rather enjoy - and the music is by Cole Porter. So The Cat and I headed along to northeast London last Tuesday night for the performance.
And you know what? It was excellent! I figured that, given the students would have been training and learning the art of theatre performance for the last three years, and were set to soon be released into the big bad world of professional theatre, that it would be of at least decent quality. But both The Cat and I were super impressed. Those kids (I'm allowed to call them that, being not so far off 30...) had some great voices, amazing energy and fabulous dance moves. Sure, the sets weren't as sparkly and shiny as you might get on a West End production but does that really matter when the cast's performances are so stellar?
 |
| The cast of Anything Goes in action |
So, we were chuckling away, tapping our feet all the way through, nudging each other when one of the characters started singing I Get a Kick Out of You (having one of those 'so that's where the song's from' revelation moments) and humming Anything Goes all the way home. I may not have known the song before but it's so instantly catchy and fun that it immediately lodged itself in my brain.
Mountview are also doing a production of Guys and Dolls over the next few weeks, and I'm almost tempted to head back out there for that... Either way, going to see their show certainly reminded me of one of the great alternatives to West End theatre. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on them for future productions and looking up other reputable theatre schools.
And, in the spirit of the glamorous cruise ship setting of the show, I will leave you with some wonderful pictures of real cruise ship passengers of old...
Sounds like fun, I love the cruise ship images, how stylish travel used to be! xx
ReplyDeleteI know! It all links back to my post a while ago, when I was bemoaning the lack of stylish luggage available on the modern market. I'm sure the ladies in these pictures all had wonderful trunks...
DeleteIf I could hop back in time (oh, how I wish!), one of the first things I'd want to do is take a transatlantic cruise on a swanky passenger ship. For all intents, transatlantic crossings like that no longer exist, yet that hasn't stopped me from always yearning to take one. There's just something so glamorous, relaxing and appealing about the idea of spending a few weeks on the open sea during the mid-twentieth century.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your terrific blog comment today, dear gal. I love it when people I know come to me asking if I can help them date a vintage image, too.
♥ Jessica
Oh, I agree! It would be perfect! But the whole scene just doesn't exist anymore... even though cruise ships still do. My boyfriend has been on a cruise from Canada down to New York - although the thought of arriving into New York Harbour by boat sounds amazing, I gathered the cruise as a whole wouldn't as glamorous as my idealised images of cruises. However, there was a piano man and my boyfriend joined in on open mic nights! Wish I'd been there just for that - and he told me afterwards that he wished I'd been there as I could have provided him with lyrics to be able to sing Frank Sinatra songs!
DeleteThat does sound like a great show - and a peek into further great possibilities. I often enjoy amateur, local theatre just as much as the Melbourne Theatre Company productions. It's not about the glitz, but the imagination. That cruise ship dining room is Amazing! Perhaps I should send you some photos from the 50s and 60s when we travelled by boat between England and Australia. Quoits are a must for onboard sport.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely - if you have talented and creative people, the backdrop is just dressing - a nice bonus but not completely necessary. I thought about your photos of your cruise and was going to mention them but didn't want you to feel obliged to share them! Funny you mention quoits - I have a feeling I came across a picture of some quoits players but it wasn't very good resolution or something, otherwise I would have included it.
Delete