Stepping Out

In a performance peppered with sharp one-liners and comic routines the dancers kept the audience on their toes with a brisk and accomplished performance. Their well-practiced young cast and crew delivered Richard Harris’s fast moving comedy slickly and with enthusiasm. They achieved a result well beyond their years in their first full-length production.

The tap class, seven ladies and one man, meet one night a week. The pressure is on when their teacher Mavis asks them to prepare a special routine for a ‘Children In Need’ concert. The roller-coaster pace of the show contrasted moments of hilarity with jolts of real life as the characters’ aspirations and conflicts were revealed in the grimy church hall sessions and at the bar afterwards. Personality clashes, bickering and confrontations reached a crescendo just before the concert. The crotchety piano player Mrs Fraser (in a wonderfully sustained performance by Zara Bignell) predicted that it would all end in tears.

Dave Pearson played Geoffrey, a shy widower who falls for the aggressive and brittle Andy (Jo Mortimer). Their expressive portrayal of the couple’s unconfident, not-to-be relationship provided some heartfelt and touching moments. But sparks flew when the mouthy Maxine (Ally Jones) took exception to Andy’s manner.

Sara Garrett, who played the quiet girl Lynne, was a newcomer to the group (although her dog Sandy was a star in Annie last year). Of all the cast, she showed the best vocal ability throughout the performance.

Anwen Shaw-Penman provided a perfectly poised performance as the waspish Vera, obsessed with herself, needling others on their lack of perfection and determined to say the wrong thing at every opportunity.

Kathryn Cozens absolutely made the most of her part as the dumb blonde Dorothy, getting the laughs with her flailing, uncontrolled and over-eager dancing style, matched by her perfectly vacant approach to conversation and life in general.

Danni Elliott embodied the flirty, vulgar Sylvia, with comic genius. Her alliance with Beth Powell’s slightly exotic and over-the-hill character Rose offered a counterpoint to the dramatic revelations and conflicts happening elsewhere onstage. Beth’s barnstorming number “Don’t Ask Me” had the Saturday night audience clapping along vigorously, and was one of many musical highlights.

Although producer Vic Bignell reminded us that “there is no “I” in team”, the night belonged, beyond any doubt, to dancing queen Chloë Powell, who played the has-been chorus line girl Mavis and in real life also tutored and choreographed the Youth Theatre cast single-handedly. This was an amazing achievement for a thirteen year-old, who surely has much more to look forward to as a performer. Vic commented that Chloë had made this show possible.

It is also evident that the Youth Theatre’s players have continued to develop their talents under Vic’s guidance during the past two years. It was a joy to see this confident, well-rehearsed and talented bunch rise to the challenge and deliver a complex , mature storyline with such feeling and panache.

and thanks to everyone who supported our show and helped us to raise £425 for Children In Need

Stepping Out is the Savoy Youth Theatre's first musical production. Our last production Home And Away was a great success and honed the talents of most of the cast. Since then we have joined forces with the Savoy Players for Annie and Home Front, but nothing can prepare one for the effort the cast has had to put in to bring you this all-singing, all-dancing show.

The ladies and gent have worked tirelessly to ensure that the show is up to the high standard that they set themselves.

However, this is a show about dancing and we could not have achieved this without a choreographer. I tried several dance teachers but they were unable to help and I was beginning to despair, when one of the cast said, "I can dance, could I have a go at teaching the rest?"

Giving Chloë that opportunity was one of my better decisions. It isn't easy at just thirteen years old to control a class, particularly when most are senior to you, including your elder sister. To get them to do what you want and have regard for the overall content at the same time. Chloë, as you can see, has done just that, and it is true to say that without her efforts we would not have had a show.

Chloë's help is no more than I have come to expect from all our group. We have a saying within the the Youth Theatre, "There is no 'I' in team". This is a team effort and I am privileged to direct them. Meanwhile, just sit back and see what you could achieve if you took lessons on just 'One Night A Week'.