Empire Arts were always going to
be up against it with West Side Story.
I love Les Miserables as a musical
and I loved their 2011 production of it. Four stars, rave review, and a place
on my personal podium at the end of the year. Even gave Lucy O’Hare and Ashley
Mead my non existent ‘best directors’ medal. Follow that I said. Not possible I
said. Ain’t a fan of Bernstein’s music. Sondheim’s lyrics, clever as they are,
don’t match his later work. And they won’t have Natalie Wood. This sixties
teenager shamefully saw the film because of her and mindlessly drooled through
all the prancing of the Sharks and Jets. I didn’t get Romeo and Juliet or
teenage gangs in those days but, by God, I got Natalie Wood. Her Maria is
seared on my memory and every West Side Story I have seen since, and I have
seen a few, carries that heavy baggage.
But this is Empire Arts and Miss Lucy
O’Hare and Mr Ashley Mead. Set them a sniffy critic’s challenge and they not
only have you eating your pre-conceived words, they have you spitting them out
and serving them up as humble theatrical soup. In short their West Side Story at Harpenden Hall was a
magical piece of energetic theatre that left you gasping. The downtown New York
staging was spot on. It moved locations, from park to shop to kid’s club, in
the blink of an eye. It splattered it all with awesome lighting (Fred Rayment)
and magnificent Bernstein music (Graham Thomson). It had gangland Jets and
Sharks dancing with professional aplomb. And amid all that youthful energy it
gave us a smattering of first class performances that honed the narrative and
touched the heart. A piece of theatrical class served up in two weeks of
intensive summer school rehearsals. It shouldn’t be possible. That it is proves
that Les Miserables and many other Empire Arts productions were no flukes. This
company does what many don’t achieve in three months. I should hate them for
their expertise. I have said before that I couldn’t do it. I lack the gift and
the energy. But I can give them four stars. Effortlessly, from a miser who
doesn’t dish those out to many. Especially to productions that don’t have
Natalie Wood.
With such sure fired superb
packaging any individual turn is a bit of a bonus. But class still shines even
in the best collective productions. I give a large dollop of my brownie points
to Bianca Baikie’s superb Maria, great emotional depth, Cameron Hay’s Riff, a
strong and engaging portrayal, and Pari Shahmir’s wonderful Anita. These three
stood out in a cast which included notable performances from Tony (Ollie
Slade), Action (Stuart Grey), A-Rab (Jamie Pritchard), Anybodys (Ellie Reay), Bernardo
(Jahale Juredini), the blonde wigged Consuelo (Nadine Turk) and a stunning and
consummate Rosalia (Katherine Knight). Mr Slade, a sensitive and nicely judged
Tony, suffered a bit in his singing and Mr Juredini needed to project his gang
leader Bernardo a little more but all added to a sumptuous theatrical
experience. Alex Wheeler made for a nice Chino, number two and thwarted beau in
the Sharks, but lacked the necessary height for verisimilitude. And in this
youth production depicting rebellious youth, the generational battle was
generally spot on. In a large cast of energetic youngsters a clever sprinkling
of authoritative adults underlined the essential truth of teenage gangland
angst. (That’s the nearest you are going to get to a plot summation). A couple
of Dunstable Rep stalwarts did a nice policing job and, even though unnamed, I
reckon this is the first time they have been referred to as theatrical
sprinklings. Should up their status at the Rep.
I said earlier that I am not a
big fan of Bernstein’s aggressive American music. Doesn’t tick the boxes of
someone who admits he prefers his music without the noise. I like it to touch
the heart not invade the ears. But I am not stupid (discuss) and Mr Thomson and
his orchestra beautifully conjured up the authentic Bernstein sound. I loved
the energetic prologue, revelled in Tony and Maria’s evocative balcony scene,
lapped up America and I Feel Pretty (fantastic singing from all four ladies
including Sophia Turner) and thoroughly enjoyed an inventive Gee, Officer
Krupke. The genius on the baton (I am beginning to think he is the best around) and his performers on stage milked everything
in those outstanding numbers. All in all a bloody good afternoon (I gave up
York horseracing for this) with hardly a false note. Great orchestra, great
lighting, great staging, great sound (Graham Elliott, in case he feels missed
out), and great direction from O’Hare and Mead. I don't do worthy community tick boxes. Too long in the tooth. You have to earn your theatrical praise from me. Empire Arts does. They clearly rule in
the summer. Wonderful. Four stars. Again. Even without Natalie Wood.
Roy Hall
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