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Seussical, The Musical
Malvern Theatres Young Company
Malvern Theatres
**** THE combination of young talented youth
and a professional team to produce and develop their skills has once
again resulted in a wonderful evening of lively and colourful
entertainment. Dr Seuss’s imaginative characters, much-loved by
children, in stories related in easy and strong rhyming verse, are
brought together in this catchy musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen
Flaherty in a production that fizzes with energy and life. The Cat in the Hat holds the story together in
his impish way, as Horton the Elephant is lost and looking for a friend
in a large and scary world, then finds himself sitting in the tree and
watching over the egg of the errant Mayzie La Bird, and wooed by
Gertrude Mc Fuzz whose attempts to catch his eye include the exaggerated
enlargement of her tail to the point where she can no longer fly! The Cat, like a modern Puck, eventually brings
everything back to a happy conclusion. However, throughout the twists
and turns of this story, we are entertained to lively and entertaining
songs with an upbeat and positive message to carry us through life’s
adversities, Anything’s possible and Tell yourself how lucky you are! From the outset the stage bursts into lively song
and dance with wonderfully colourful costumes and a large cast,
well-choreographed and coordinated to make an immediate impact. Katie Leeming’s choreography is delightfully
varied and energetic, the large and lively ensemble scenes are matched
by the more elegant dancing of the smaller groups of Bird Girls. The
variety of colourful costumes and great use of lighting provide a visual
feast as well. The music is the heartbeat of the show and the
band directed by David Lane deliver a great evening of catchy melodies
and lively dance music in various genres to keep the performance moving
at a lively pace. The young performers deserve great credit for
this show. Ieuan Dolloway is a characterful and humorous Cat with a
twinkle in his eye. He has great stage presence and establishes an
excellent rapport with the audience. Jessie Mae Thomas’s singing
(Gertrude), Hana Copestake’s dancing (Mayzie), Lewis Allan’s stolid but
likeable Elephant Horton and strong voice, combine very successfully
with the other supporting cast and the ensemble. The whole production has been wonderfully
coordinated by Andy Reiss and his team. This show will appeal to
all ages and is a truly wholesome family piece of entertainment. It
should inspire the young to get involved with theatre with its
infectious energy and teamwork and leaves the audience humming the tunes
on the way out! Tim Crow 23-08-16
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