|
Princes,
Paupers, Pirates,
Ringwood
Musical & Dramatic Society,
Greyfriars
Community Centre, Ringwood.
I always look on the RMDS Summer Show as my end-of-term treat,
and I’m never disappointed. This fun-filled evening of three short
entertainments with food is deservedly popular, and I never cease to be amazed
by the ingenuity of those who come up with the ideas.
The dance-orientated Princes told a tale of several fairy-tale princesses
searching for their princes and included two of the musical high spots of the
evening – the gorgeous Agony from Into The Woods and the best version I have
ever seen of Spamalot’s The Song That Goes Like This, sung with pure genius by
Dave Wischhusen and Annie Maynard. And there was even a frog. Well, you know
what they say about kissing one…
Pirates was a glorious romp on the high seas, complete with talking Jolly Roger
and reaching its peak with an hilarious version of My Heart Must Go On and a
wonderful Pirate King song, the latter magnificently sung by Ian Rix.
The third section, Paupers, was outstanding, combining pure, laugh-out-loud
humour with a message about poverty that in these recession-hit times really hit
home. The songs were great too – Streets of London and A Couple of Swells were
a couple of personal favourites, but I loved them all.
|
Ringwood Musical and Dramatic Society Three P Suite
THE ritual delight that is the RMDS summer show packed the three
Greyfriars' halls last week with an additional performance to meet demand.
Princes, Paupers and Pirates - three very different approaches providing a
wealth of entertainment to the Ringwood audience. Seen in rotation, the order
according to your ticket colour, the shows brought smiles and cheers at the
surprises, some old favourites and even a nudge at our conscience. As a yellow
ticket holder, the first show I saw was Pirates, directed by Richard Bennett.
Notable was the continuity of movement and use of a small number of props
ensuring smooth and swift changes of mood and tempo. We saw the different sides
to the pirate character and narration was skilfully achieved by the projection
of a talking skull! The majority of numbers were undertaken by most of the cast
and this worked well, making the most of the space but each member was
considerably an individual and had developed great characterisations through
animated expressions enhanced by colourful costumes. Special moments included
the arrival of the ladies from the 'Save A Soul Mission', a very amusing
rendition of Delilah and the sheer power of the Pirate King as part of a high
energy finale.
Princes, directed by Jane Howell took us to Camelot, with a splash of
Spamalot! The story followed the fortunes of four princes competing to win the
inheritance crown, their tasks even included a jousting match. Great set design
- a castle with the musicians up high behind the battlements. The Medieval
setting and costumes made for a genteel and elegant performance but with still
plenty of scope for the comedians in the group to shine. Some lovely dancing,
too.
The final show seen by yellow ticket holders was Paupers. Having the
audience seated on two sides was an excellent arrangement. Produced by Richard
Thomas and Ali Titcombe and directed by Ali, this section took us on a totally
absorbing moral modern-day journey from complacency to redundancy to
desperation and then a slap in the face reality check, finally leaving us on a
high note. Superb musical direction by Jonathan Spratt, and choreography by
Victoria Richardson with an obviously huge amount of thought, design,
preparation and planning. This group was in complete control of our emotions
and deservedly brought back for an encore of the exciting and energetic dance
routine to Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire.
Sally Young
