NODA North West Magazine

SOUND OF MUSIC (1997)

Macclesfield Majestic Theatre

Producer - Peter Clough
Musical Director - Heather Hayes - Wilson
Choreographer - Gillian Hulme
Stage Manager - Keith Preece

"Necessity is the mother of invention", or so the book of quotations states. Indeed it had to be with this outward looking society. Not only have they lost the Macclesfield Majestic recently, yet another sad demise of a real theatre, but also their rehearsal rooms.

I was delighted to attend one glorious Sunday in June, the opening of their new rehearsal studio by their President, Nicholas Winterton MP and the Mayor of Macclesfield. Hours and hours of sheer slogging from willing helpers had achieved this BUT where to present tinier next production? The Silk Heritage Centre proved to be the venue. Getting to the auditorium was an art in itself. Following the maze of steps and long corridors how, I wondered, did the sets arrive UP here? The stage was small, but so it is in other venues, with the wings, or should I say wing! down several steps to the side. The society found at the dress rehearsal that one wing was to be used only as an emergency exit and thus a prop free area. So before I report on the musical my warmest congratulations to the stage manager for sheer expertise on the smooth running of this production with it's twenty scene changes, the lighting and sound teams' effects and the orchestra, the latter playing away in the twilight zone on the side with an MD who could only conduct with her back to the actors and rely on technical visual gismos.

The chorus singing was well up to standard, plus Alison Gorton's lovely clear singing as Sister Margaretta. I saw on the Thursday night Steven Helliwell, Tessa Hart, Andrew Venables, Rosie Campbell, Kate Penny and Heather Taylor as the Von Trapp children, fresh as paint. Michael Daws was a good Rolf in what can be an unrewarding part, and Emma Hart was a delightful Liesl. Olga Buckley was an Elsa Shrader, strongest on her well pointed dialogue. Harry Newton, although missing some of the sly urbaneness of this pragmatic character was a strong, enthusiastic Max Detweiler. I also enjoyed the calm authority and singing of Deirdre Rogers as Mother Abbess.

Christopher Plummer in the film is a hard act to follow. The original Captain Von Trapp was played on stage by Theodore Bickel, a much more down to earth type. Richard Cornish as Georg Von Trapp gave a nicely rounded performance and a good rendering of Edelweiss. Nina Williamson was a good Maria Rainer. I have never seen her play before. Obviously experienced, she still managed the early scenes of naiveté convincingly, sang well, had excellent rapport with the children and was spot on in Act Two.

May I congratulate the society, particularly the " Shakers and Movers" and their legion of helpers for making this production possible.

 

 

 

 

 

Next Show

"Oklahoma"
.............
4th to 9th October 2010