The Drowsy Chaperone: Presented by UON Musos

The Drowsy Chaperone

The Drowsy Chaperone Rating

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4

The Drowsy Chaperone presented by UON MUSOS at the Civic Theatre Playhouse Newcastle “does what it’s supposed to do and takes you to another world.” The entertaining musical satire was Directed by Louise Barcan and the Production Manager/Music Director was Dean Selem.

The Drowsy Chaperone is set in 1928 and is a parody of 1920s musical theatre. It has a completely nonsensical plot filled with oodles of drama and slapstick comedy. The opening night audience lapped up every comedic line and gave accolades of warm appreciation.

The Choreography by Lilly Grant was perfectly on theme, with great inclusion of famous 1920s dance moves, including the energetic Charleston and plenty of jazzy hands.

To my great delight there was 1920s inspired tap dancing choreography for the musical number “Cold Feets”, which starred Joshua Davies who played ‘the groom to hopefully be,’ Robert Martin. He delighted the audience with his enthusiastic and vivacious tap dancing, as well as his highly entertaining blindfolded roller-blading.

The lighting throughout the performance was timed meticulously and showed great creativity by Michael Conry. It was melodramatic in itself mirroring elements in the musical. The lighting provided cohesion to the plot utilising simple effective techniques for full and elaborate lighting on the ‘imagined musical parts’ and then centring spotlights on Eamon Mahon who performed marvellously as ‘The Man In The Chair.’

Eamon’s acting was absolutely astounding and unwavering throughout, he performed with the greatest of sincerity and pure honesty to his character. His steadfast natural presence and dry comedic responses elevated and unified the entire show.

Vocal director (Rachael Sebastian) produced wonderful harmonies with the ensemble and gave great direction to the lead vocalists as well. A particularly commendable job on the final number “I Do I Do In The Sky,” with a special mention to Trinity Young for her strong melodic vocals.

The leading lady character Janet Van De Graff was delightfully portrayed by Shanaya Budden who rocked the stage with her sultry tunes and dance performances throughout the entire show. I especially loved her vocal performance in “Bride’s Lament.”

 

Olivia Leathley danced and sang with great finesse as the “Laissez faire” Drowsy Chaperone character. She gave a very enjoyable and admirable performance and portrayed great comedic acting skills. Olivia’s romantic scenes with Aldolpho were definitely some of the highlights of the production. Raphael Teixeira displayed an absolutely hilarious rendition of his zany, romantic character Aldolpho. Raphael showed wonderful comedic acting skills and vocal delivery in his solo number “I Am Aldolpho.”

The quote from the musical “I just want to be entertained, and that’s the point, isn’t it?” is perfectly fitting for The Drowsy Chaperone musical. The abundance of adult humour and witty one-liners, combined with all the flair of the 1920s, ensure an enjoyable evening for all theatre goers.

To book tickets to The Drowsy Chaperone , please visit https://tickets.civictheatrenewcastle.com.au/WEBPAGES/EntaWebShow/ShowPerformance.aspx.

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The Drowsy Chaperone

The Drowsy Chaperone

The Drowsy Chaperone Rating

Click if you liked this article

2

The Stirling Players return for their final production of 2024, The Drowsy Chaperone, and they’re certainly going out with a bang.

One thing you can count on when it comes to community theatre is the traditional complimentary glass of sherry, and The Spotlight Bar at The Stirling Theatre has you spoiled for choice with a range of different types.

This quirky little theatre at the Innaloo Recreation Centre drew a full house for their Saturday evening performance. The tiered seating was a plus for those of us who often find ourselves missing parts of the stage when there’s a tall person in front of us.

The Tony Award-winning musical by Bob Martin and Don McKellar opens on Man in a Chair (Ben Clarke), who, feeling a little blue, shares with us his favourite record, the cast recording of a fictional 1928 musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. The curtains open, and we’re told to use our imaginations as the recording comes to life.

And so, the stage is set for a hilarious evening with a young couple on the eve of their wedding, a disorganised best man, a desperate theatre producer, a forgetful lady of the house, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a self-proclaimed lothario and an intoxicated chaperone. Will the wedding go ahead, or will it be derailed through mistaken identities and the allure of a life in the spotlight?

Even with a relatively simple set, the production values of this show are top-notch; it’s easy to forget you’re in a community hall watching a local production; this could be a cast of professionals at The Regal or His Maj. The costume department was busy with the many costume changes, all of which perfectly suited the era, and a band playing live backstage immersed you in the production when you expect local theatre musicals to come with a backing track.

Danielle Battista shines as Broadway starlet Janet Van De Graff, building on her amazing performance earlier this year in Stirling Player’s production of Evita, and Sonni Byrne is pitch-perfect as the chaperone who is clearly more concerned with her own love life than that of her young charge.

The exchanges between bridegroom Robert Martin (Max Leunig) and his best man George (Oliver Temby) were also a joy to watch, providing strong vocals and great comic timing. I also have to congratulate the wonderful ensemble performers who were perfectly timed and made the most of the relatively small stage. But it’s Ben Clarke as Man in a Chair who steals the show with his hilariously understated delivery that had you waiting with bated breath to see what he’d come out with next.

This one-act, laugh-a-minute musical has to be one of the best shows I’ve seen this year. Having read the synopsis, I really didn’t know what to expect. Even my not-so-musical-enthused husband had a smile on his face every time I glanced over. With just a handful of performances left, get in quick.

To book tickets to The Drowsy Chaperone, please visit https://www.stirlingplayers.com.au/

Playing dates: December 5, 6, 7 at 7.30pm.
Matinees: Sunday December 1 at 2 pm.
Tickets: Adult $25, Concession $22 Members $20

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