Students from the Guildford School of Acting manage to hit the high notes in a mesmerizing medley of musical theatre
Dean Whiting
Celebrating Surrey University’s 50th anniversary, students from Guildford School of Acting take us on a magical journey of through 50 years of musical theatre. Fabulous 50 has a mesmerizing 44 numbers pulled from the likes of Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, Wicked, Les Miserables, Evita, Chicago, Hairspray and Hamilton (to name just a few). For anyone with a love of Musical Theatre it’s a fantastic couple of hours of non-stop entertainment.
Guildford school of Acting is recognised as a leading conservatoire for musical theatre and drama training, graduates regularly tread the boards in West End and Broadway productions. This cast of 40+, pulled from current musical and acting students, show every sign of being stars of the future. Unfortunately the programme doesn't put names to the numbers so I am unable to share with you the name of the young woman who stole our hearts with a blasting rendition of Memory from Cats or the engaging young actor who ‘Wilkommened’ us from Cabaret at the top of the show.
If there is a downside to this form of entertainment it is that the songs have to stand for themselves – they don’t have the support of the book or the opportunity for the actor to reveal the full story. However the selection here is of absolute favourites – the show tunes we all remember and love and one of the reasons they stay with us is that the songs are each a few minutes of an emotional journey.
A unity is added to the evening by the use of projections tracking the past 50 years. Early shots of the laying of the foundations of Surrey University remind us what we are celebrating, the Guildford/Surrey theme recurs, sliced in with other memories of UK/world history. At times these images jar, a wistful performance of Send in the Clowns from A Little Night Music is not enhanced by images of Roger Moore as 007 – though when this moved in to pictures of Nixon being impeached the clowns seemed more relevant! Thomas the Tank Engine trundling away behind Starlight Express did make me smile though depictions of the Hillsborough disaster behind Love Changes Everything from Aspects of Love disturbed me.
There is some splendid choreography and the artists turn around costume changes thus keeping each song fresh to the eye. It’s a joy to leave a theatre elated and the audience in Guildford certainly rose to their feet to celebrate the occasion. A great night out.
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