1:55pm Thursday 25th February 2010
By Laura Nesbitt
POWERFUL performances were thickly woven through the gripping musical Assassins at Bridgwater Arts Centre last night.
Pinstripe Productions cleverly balanced a dose of humour in the Sondheim show, which told the tale of assassins and would-be assassins of American Presidents.
The set was plastered in the stars and stripes synonymous with the USA, as the proprietor - Ben Filler dressed as Uncle Sam - and assassins started the show with song.
Philip Cox' booming voice and commanding persona captivated the room as he played Abraham Lincoln's assassin and actor John Wilkes Booth.
Gravel-voiced Mike Hardy played Samuel Beck, who attempted to kill Richard Nixon. Wearing a grubby old Santa costume and supping on beer, Mike's monologues seemed effortlessly brilliant as he planned to hijack a plane.
Producer James Tucked gave a word-perfect performance of anarchist Leon Czolgosz, who assassinated William McKinley, while the eccentric Garfield assassin Charles Guiteau was convincingly portrayed by Ian Oliver.
Italian Roosevelt killer Giuseppe Zangara was taken on by Robbie Burns and Darren Oxman played the Jodie Foster-obsessed John Hinckley, who attempted an assassin on Ronald Regan.
Bryan Hallett gave a suitably bleak performance as the alleged assassin of JFK, goaded on in the play by Booth and the other assassins.
Jane Epps and Becki Tucker were Lynette Fromme and Sara Jane Moore - two women who plotted to kill Gerald Ford - while the whole ensemble gave great, sometimes comic, support.
Narrated through song by Tim Read, Assassins was a compelling performance from start to finish. Everything from the clever use of the stage to the music, costumes and accents had been considered in great detail and produced a very polished performance - director Brian Buttle should be very proud.
Assassins runs at the arts centre until Saturday. For ticket information, call the box office on 01278-422700.
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