REVIEW: Bridgwater Operatic Society performs Annie

Many will have heard of Little Orphan Annie although not everyone will be familiar with the long running daily American comic strip of the same name.

Little Orphan Annie, created by Harold Grey made its 1924 debut in the New York Daily News.

The plot followed the various adventures of Annie, her dog Sandy and her benefactor Oliver Daddy Warbucks and was turned into a highly successful musical, Annie, in 1977 that ran for six years on Broadway.

Set in austere 1930s New York during The Great Depression, with its stark contrasts of have and have nots, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage.

Determined to find her real parents, her luck changes when she is chosen to spend Christmas at the residence of the famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks.

Spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search.

This production’s success, presented by Bridgwater Operatic Society performing for the first time at the McMillan Theatre between April 27 and 30, owed much to the casting of the title character, shared by Leia Tallemach and Melissa Coles.

Their optimism and humour in overcoming adversity was infectious and coupled with mature confidence in the vocal numbers the portrayals brought both tears and a smiles in equal measure.

Also, it would be impossible to forget Annie’s fellow orphans — a group of young ladies whose performances on the night I saw the show, seemed as though they were just extensions of their fun loving selves.

They were so amusing to watch that when they set about cleaning the floors to the catchy number Hard Knock Life- I’m sure many in the audience wished they were there helping them.

One of the most memorable characters in this Annie was Miss Hannigan.

Played with great commitment by Nikki Standerwick, the orphanage’s cruel matron and drunken man eater took great delight in making life a misery for her little charges.

You could almost, but not quite, feel sorry for her in her desperate attempt to escape her mundane plight and this was exemplified when her frustrations spilled over in her song Little Girls.

Along with her brother Daniel Rooster Hannigan and his girl friend Lily St. Regis, played in ideally crafted cameo roles by Tom Lousiopoulos and Collette Adams, they set about defrauding Oliver Warbucks when posing as Annie’s long lost parents.

Oliver Daddy Warbucks, meanwhile, was perfectly portrayed by Mal Hogg, as the billionaire with an unlikely heart of gold.

As he and Annie quickly grew closer, their camaraderie developed with genuine empathy.

Their duet Something was missing, when Warbucks tells Annie of how his affection for her transcended any of his material wealth, was particularly touching.

All the cast were excellent, but special mention for their impressive contributions must go to Nina Wylde for her portrayal of Warbucks PA, Grace Farrell, Gavin Roberts as his butler, Drake and Alan Coles for a distinguished President Roosevelt.

Gethin Pye as the charismatic radio announcer Bert Healey, the star of The Oxydent Hour of Smiles, showed us just what a versatile performer he is.

National and local radio stations please note.

Finally, the audience couldn’t have been more pleased to see Sandy, Flora in real life, the dog that Annie had saved from the dog pound.

When the canine Thespian, tail wagging, came onto the stage for the first time, a noticeable sigh went through the audience, who had obviously forgotten that there was a four legged treat in store.

This production of Annie was directed by Sue Pomeroy, who can rightly be proud of yet another triumph for the society.

With impressive singing from the cast, classy musical direction from Tony Pomeroy and literally breathtaking choreography devised by Lucy Taylor and team this was a show to treasure.

If the audience leaving the McMillan Theatre were anything to go by Annie really had cleared away the cobwebs and the sorrow and with a more lasting effect than just Tomorrow.

PAUL BILLING