UIV Musical - Bugsy Malone
After nearly two terms of rehearsals, the first night of the UIV Musical, Bugsy Malone, dawned. The excitement of the expectant UIVs was electric. Unfortunately, the actual electricity failed us as a power cut struck High Wycombe and the School resulting in the first show being cancelled. Despite this initial hiccup the band, crew and cast bravely forged on to give excellent performances on the following two nights.
The first thing that struck the audience was the incredible originality of the production, both in the set and props. The use of custard pies and splurge guns added a tongue in cheek aspect to the fight scenes while still managing to portray the more sinister side of the gang wars that raged at that time. Much of this gang culture revolved around the casinos and bars where mobsters like Fat Sam Stacetto, played brilliantly by Natasha, chose to base themselves. One of my personal favourite moments of the production was when the front curtains opened up to reveal the full set, which was clearly based on the idea of a piano keyboard with various levels that could be lit up separately allowing for quick and effective cross-cutting from scene to scene. Dancers, dressed in marvellous Flappers styled pink tasselled costumes and head dresses opened with a wonderful dance number, Fat Sam's Grand Slam, while the fantastic live staff band accompanying them really set the feel of the play and created a vibrant and rich opening to the production, leaving the audience hooked from the word ‘go'!
Some of the most impressive achievements were the American accents, stylised singing, vibrant physicality and vocal projection of the actors. Credit must go to Lara, who played Bugsy, for her extremely convincing New York accent, and to Tabitha (Blousey) and Laura (Tallulah) who both performed superb solo numbers which left the audience with goose bumps. The Technical Team has to be congratulated for the enormous amount of work that was produced behind the scenes. The production would certainly not have been so effective if it hadn't been for the lighting and sound, masterfully co-ordinated by Dr Bates and Dr Savage as well as the building and painting of the set, which was truly wonderful! As a GCSE Drama student, I know that there is nothing more satisfying that getting into your character's costume and feeling for the first time, really like the character you are playing. All the costumes were beautifully crafted and embodied all the characters perfectly. Hats off, literally, to Mrs Armstrong! Well done as well to Mrs Thorpe and her team for producing simple, period make-up that helped create both convincing Mobsters with their pencil moustaches as well as elegant and striking Molls. Finally, an extra special mention must go to the person at the heart of the whole thing, Mrs Howe, who again managed to deliver an astonishingly complex production which made people wonder how that much patience and dedication is even possible. No pressure then for next year's UIV Musical!
Emily, UV
