Sunday 7 August 2011

Theatrical circles

OK, it's a pun. Puns are much undervalued. First "theatrical circle" is yesterday's new crop formation near Bishop Cannings in Wiltshire. You can read Michelle Jennings's Comments by clicking the link above the aerial crop image on the page:
http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/2011/furzeknoll/furzeknoll2011a.html
The circle makers, whoever they are, in the past ten days are playing with us by adopting a more cartoon-like approach to getting our attention - and less of the abstruse mathematics. One picture last week was unmistakably of a bug-eyed alien head happily smoking a Sherlock Holmes-style pipe. I call that delightful theatre.

So too, on Friday, was the opening night performance by the Maitland Music and Arts Club of Lionel Bart's Oliver! in the town's nicely equipped little McKnight Theatre. We thoroughly enjoyed the collective efforts of its cast of thousands. Well, I counted 63 cast and crew in the photograph on the back of Tim Tuck's handsome program. The 50-minute drive was worth it, and we even restrained ourselves from jumping up out of our seats to advise Director Leanne Cane just how to do it, since our singing group will perform some of the show's famed songs in our concert a couple of weeks from now. Hence, we Consider Ourselves (ha, ha) to be instant experts. Congrats to all involved, especially Roger Morgan for the sets and seamless scenery shifts. Musical Director Di Morgan also choreographed the show.

Hey, this is not meant as a full review, and if I started where would I stop? Oliver and Fagin and Nancy were played very well indeed and have had press coverage. Local heroes. But the stand-out has to be Callum Agnew's Artful Dodger, every bit as good as the iconic Dodger of the 1968 movie as played by the late Jack Wild. OK, I did start. But I'll stop there.

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