 THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD
Tue 11 to Sat 15
March 2008
Palace Theatre, Redditch
Producer - Joy Vater
Musical Director - Norma Kift
Stage Manager - Ian Dixon
Rehearsal Pianist - Carol Griffiths
The Cast
| Sir Richard Cholmondeley |
Kevin Hirons |
| Colonel Fairfax |
Michael Faulkner |
| Seargeant Meryll |
Michael Hawkins |
| Leonard Meryll |
David Steele |
| Jack Point |
Steve Skinner |
| Wilfred Shadbolt |
Ian Walton |
| The Headsman |
Ben Hart |
| First Yeoman |
Tony Vater |
| Second Yeoman |
Rex Wheeler |
| First Citizen |
Jeremy Boaz |
| Second Citizen |
John Alderson |
| Elsie Maynard |
Chris Wheeler |
| Phoebe Meryll |
Alison Adams |
| Dame Carruthers |
Barbara Clark |
| Kate |
Stephanie Neilson-Watts |
Reviews
Confident and Beautifully Dressed Production (3 stars)
"A confident and beautifully dressed production provides a satisfying evening in which the pleasing pairing of Alison Adams (Phoebe) and Ian Walton (Shadbolt) is outstanding. He is a lugubrious joy and she is a cornucopia of amusing facial expressions.
Michael Hawkins is a commanding figure as Sergeant Meryll, but it is not clear why, when all the drama is taking place centre-stage towards the end, the first night found him gazing fixedly at the audience.
Michael Faulkner makes powerful vocal contributions as Colonel Fairfax and Steve Skinner is the hopeful but tragic Jack Point - a pleasing performance that is unusual in that it is a long time before we see him in his full jester regalia.
Barbara Clark (Dame Carruthers) and Chris Wheeler (Elsie Maynard) are in good voice - but the real musical joy comes from the excellent chorus, with 'Oh, Sergeant Meryll' and 'Night has spread her pall' on either side of the interval."
John Slim, Birmingham Post and Mail
Excellent Casting Leads to Tremendous Performance
"Last year's exquisite performances of Orpheus of the Underworld were always going to be a hard act to follow for ABOS, but with a somewhat safer G&S favourite, they pulled it off admirably.
This is no Pirates of Penzance, as the musical numbers are much less well-known, but no less delightful for all that, and the society, to a man and woman, made it all their own, with me for one singing I Have A Song To Sing, O as I left the theatre.
Outstanding in his theatrical performance - there was not a dry eye in the house as the final curtain fell and he lost his lover - was Steve Skinner as court jester Jack Point. Steve put his all into the not inconsiderable volume of musical numbers and acting he was called upon to do. It was sight to see.
But the casting for the whole show was excellent - the dashing Colonel Fairfax (Michael Faulkner) under sentence of death, more serious Michael Hawkins as Sergeant Meryll, and the handsome David Steele as his son Leonard Meryll.
But truly excellent on the female side was Alison Adams as slow but flirty Phoebe Meryll. Her demeanour and facial expressions were a sight to behold - I for one could not keep my eyes off her with her utterly convincing but appropriately exaggerated mannerisms.
Musical direction of the orchestra was very competently provided by Norman Kift.
Another great show from ABOS started the current season from the district's excellent operatic societies."
Andrew Powell, Redditch Standard
Photographs
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