Howard Goodall wrote this musical adaptation of Oliver Goldsmith’s restoration comedy for the National Youth Music Theatre 18 years ago (Sheridan Smith’s music theatre debut!). It’s the midpoint of his musical theatre catalogue, to date. It didn’t get a professional production until five years ago and now Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre in Walthamstow have matched and in some respects bettered that. It’s been great to see All Star Productions grow through the three Goodall shows they’ve done in the last 2.5 years (not counting the compilation show Love & War) to reach the quality they achieve here.
Charles Marlow is off to meet Kate Hardcastle, their fathers intent on a match. He’s accompanied by George Hastings who is going to have to elope if he is to wed his love, Kate’s cousin Constance, as she’s promised to Kate’s step-brother Tony Lumpkin. The mischievous Tony meets them en route and persuades them the Hardcastle home is an Inn, which results in much confusion as the story propels towards it’s inevitable happy ending.
Charles Hart made an excellent job of the book and lyrics, making it even funnier, though just as broad, and director Brendan Matthew’s time shift from the late eighteenth to early twentieth century makes a lot of sense. There’s a lot of music and it’s an even better score than I remembered (like a lot of Goodall shows, there’s no recording) with particularly fine ensemble pieces. As usual at this venue, the musical standards under Aaron Clingham are outstanding, though the balance of unamplified band and voices meant that some lyrics were lost. It takes a while to take off, the Act One finale is a touch laboured and it could do with losing ten or fifteen minutes, but it’s a great show nonetheless.
It’s another terrific ensemble here, many new to the venue, with all seven leads well cast. The comedy honours belong to Andrew Truluck and Laurel Dougall as Mr & Mrs Hardcastle. Kira Morsley is excellent as Kate, with particularly fine vocals. I very much liked both David Zachary and Robert Metson as Marlow and Hastings respectively, as I did Emily Peach as Constance and Jacob Jackson’s cheeky chappie Lumpkin.
Another good reason to go to the very end of the Victoria Line. I think it’s time to place my order for the London premiere of Goodall’s Two Cities.
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