Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – 28 February 2018
Sardines Magazine
A classy production of this unclassifiable show, with the classic team of Ray Jeffery in the director’s chair and Bryan Cass in the pit.
No frills, but it looks very stylish, with scarlet and black costumes for the Riviera opening. The frocks – hunting pink and harem pants, blue Austrian for a couple of minutes on stage, air crew for a matter of seconds – fare better than the furniture. “Great Big Stuff” needs Louis XV rather than dralon. And the gowns are gorgeous, with all of the excellent female leads sporting wonderful wardrobes, while the poor old chaps struggle with trousers an inch or two too long.
The Scoundrels of the title include Barry Hester’s suave shyster Lawrence, his “classic good looks” impersonating variously a dentist, a Prince and an Austrian quack, David Slater’s corrupt policier, and Kieran Bacon’s coarse, crass American conman, relishing the shameless bad taste of this “deliciously low” character, especially in his Ruprecht routine. Plus of course the Jackal, who eventually outwits them all.
Claire Carr gives a memorable Christine Colgate, lighting up the stage as the “genuine, sincere” Soap Queen. Her first entrance - “Here I Am” - nicely choreographed, appropriating the hotel’s baggage trolley for a stunning routine. She has some of the best dresses, too – black satin for seduction, polka dot pants for her travelling outfit. And she’s barely recognizable as one of the “boys”, all brassy bling and big lashes.
Helen Meah makes a lively Jolene, country girl from Oklahoma, and Helen Hart gives a beautifully sung Muriel, with exemplary presence: “What was a Woman to Do” – simply staged, with five ladies plus Jessica Broad’s usherette in the stalls. Lots of polished production numbers, the cheesy Oklahoma, the Finale to Act 1, using the big chorus to good effect. They’re also pressed into service to shift the furniture for the smoothly choreographed scene changes.
The set is simple – a hotel verandah, perhaps, with the sea subtly suggested beyond. Plenty of clever touches to distract from the patchy, improbable book - Freddy’s transformation with the screen, the miracle in the bedroom, Tony Catchpole's clichéd accordionist for the lovely “Like Zis, Like Zat”, where Slater and Hart make an excellent couple in the senior seduction subplot. And excellent diction means that I catch the throwaway “Gregorian chanteuse” gag for the first time.
CAODS’ next – opening on September 25 - will be another movie classic, the Essex premiere of Irving Berlin’s Top Hat.
http://caods.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/DRS-TheatreLife-Review.pdf
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – 27 February 2018
Review by Theatre Life
When one thinks about Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, one usually associates it with Michael Caine and Steve Martin, so this musical is perhaps not as well known as it should be but CAODS gave us a great delivery of this fun storyline.
I have to say the cast was somewhat different to those of recent shows I have seen at Chelmsford but that just shows the breadth of performers they have available within the society. The story revolves around two conmen from opposite sides of the tracks – Lawrence Jameson played by Barry Hester and Freddie Benson played by Kieran Bacon. I liked both the portrayals but I have to say Barry Hester gave us a masterclass in charm and charisma and his ease of performance was such a joy to watch.
By contrast, Kieran Bacon filled the stage with high octane energy and quirkiness and delivered much of the physical humour in the script perfectly. Claire Carr as the Soap Queen, Christine Colgate, was equally strong with great stage presence and her expert ability to mix humour with beauty on stage was perfect casting for this role.
I particularly liked the pairing of David Slater as Andre and Helen Hart as Muriel Eubanks – both came into their own in their rendition ‘Like Zis, Like Zat’ and this, in particular, gave a real lift to Act Two. Helen Meah also gave a feisty performance as Oklahoma Oil Princess, Jolene Oakes.
I have to say some of the company numbers lacked some energy and precision tonight but that may be down to first night nerves however, the simple set which framed the scenes was further enhanced by a good selection of furniture and props which were all smoothly manipulated by the cast. It worked really well and added to the overall feel of the show.
The orchestra sounded great although at the beginning, in places, it was a little too loud to hear the dialogue and therefore understand the beginning of the storyline. This was also an issue with the vocal group in ‘What was a Woman to Do’ with both diction and orchestral volume meaning it was difficult to hear the lyrics which was a shame but hopefully this can be ironed out for subsequent performances.
However, the show was visually enchanting and all the costumes looked fantastic, with colour coding in certain scenes and some very glamorous ladies in wonderful hats and accessories throughout, so my congratulations must go to the wardrobe team.
I commend the society on their choice of production and if you haven’t seen the show and love the film, then you really need to get tickets for a rib tickling night out or alternatively just join the cast basking in the French Riviera sunshine and get away from your winter weather worries. Tickets are still available for some remaining performances and you won’t be disappointed as they ‘Give You Want You Want’ with a great nights entertainment.
http://caods.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Cheryl-Rogers-Reviews-Dirty-Rotten-Scoundrels.pdf
This musical has a storyline that’s frequently used in theatrical productions. It follows a couple of likeable con men and their schemes to outwit a susceptible public - with a couple of romantic involvements along the way. The setting is the French Riviera and this set was perfectly lit, with a sparkling deep blue sea in the background, behind the elegant balustrade of a hotel. The ladies’ cast were beautifully costumed in elegant gowns and hats, in fact this production was an extravaganza of costumes. So far, so normal, and I must say that this tale doesn’t really have any great surprises for an audience, so it relies on the leading characters to make the most of the personalities and the gags.
Luckily CAODS have a seasoned professional in Barry Hester, taking the lead role of Laurence Jameson, and he is tailor-made for the part. This is the style of comedy that Barry can do without effort and he shouldered this role naturally, slipping from one accent to another as he took on various characters in his bid to hoodwink his prey. He delivered his comedy songs with a twinkle in his eye and gave a nice sentimental touch to ‘Love Sneaks In’, showing the unexpected human side of this trickster. Another ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrel’ was Freddie Benson played by Kieran Bacon. This was the young pretender, the cocky apprentice being tutored by Laurence in the art of deception, who tried to outdo his more experienced partner in crime. Personally I didn’t feel much chemistry between these two performers, they lacked a certain connection in my opinion but as I’ve said many times before, you can’t always have perfect casting in an amateur show. Claire Carr made her appearance three quarters of the way through act one, with a burst of colour and a rousing version of ‘Here I Am’. She sparkled her way around the stage in all her scenes as the infamous ‘Jackal’ alias millionaire Soap Queen - Christine Colgate, looking stunning in all her fabulous gowns and lingerie! Helen Meah also gave us a spirited and outrageous performance as Jolene Oakes, the ‘over the top’, southern, Dolly Parton styled character, very well performed. More scoundrels were added to the collection with David Slater as Andre Thibault, the corrupt policeman with a good French accent and paired nicely with Helen Hart playing Muriel Eubanks beautifully, as his love interest. Her rendition of ‘What Was a Woman To Do’ was excellent and nicely complemented by a few of the ladies who joined her in this number.
This was not the usual CAODS fare, being a little risqué at times and with a surprising inclusion of a swear word but such is modern theatre and they stepped up to the plate with fun and aplomb, showing that this company are not shy of tackling anything. ‘Top Hat’ is their next presentation 25th – 29th September 2018 and I can only imagine how spectacular this one is going to be. Put the date in your diaries – you won’t want to miss it!
https://www.noda.org.uk/show-reports/dirty-rotten-scoundrels-1520242705
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Date
3rd March 2018
Society
Venue
The Civic Theatre
Type of Production
Musical
Director
Ray Jeffery
Musical Director
Bryan Cass
Choreographer
Becs Dixon
Report
Author: Christine Davidson
I have never seen the film with Steve Martin and Michael Caine or the show so this gem was a joy for me to watch.
Director, Ray Jeffrery wanted a classy show and this one had class in abundance. With the simple set, the set pieces and furniture being brought on and off seamlessly by the cast the show never flagged. His choice of colours during the production were simply divine; from the Red and Black costumes in the opening number ‘Give them what they want’ to the gorgeous pink and mauve number in ‘Here I am’ and later on, the all black costume scene, not forgetting the nuns costumes, and the airport staff; the list goes on. Wardrobe mistress Lynette Sullivan should be commended as she had really worked her magic as had also Patsy Page with her superb wigs. Both of which made every actor exude class.
The orchestra lead by Musical Director Bryan Cass were a delight and totally professional in their approach.
The Scoundrels were the sophisticated and charming Barry Hester as Lawrence Jameson and David Slater as Andre Thibault the corrupt police officer. Barry Hester impersonated a Prince and an Austrian Doctor with ease. He oozed his way round the stage with confidence and pizzazz. Singing well throughout except for right at the beginning when he sounded quite gruff and we were not able to hear what he was singing, but he soon got into his stride and was excellent. David Slater as Andre Thibault was a joy; his scene with the rich attractive American Muriel Eubank (sung beautifully by Helen Hart) was hilarious.
The Song ‘Like Zis, Like Zat’ really brought Act 2 into life. Totally comical with Andre in his socks and suspenders looking like a wild Richard Branson; I found myself laughing out loud- superb!
The other scoundrel was Freddy Benson played with outstanding energy and pace by Kieran Bacon. His acting in ‘All about Ruprecht’, again had me in stitches. His physical comedic humour was one of the keys to this production.
Jolene Oaks played by Helen Meah was also a star turn. A little Dolly Parton in white leathers, cowboy boots and huge Dolly Parton blonde wig; she shone on stage and I loved the ‘Oklahoma’ scene with the cowboy costumed ensemble.
The choreography by Becs Dixon for this show was fabulous and again should be commended with such a large cast
Claire Carr as Soap Queen, Christine Colgate, was well cast by the director. Strong and sassy with great presence on stage, her face lit up like her yellow dress, bright and sunny. Her first entrance ‘Here I am’ was cleverly choreographed in a hotel trolley routine and her costumes were stunning. Claire has great charisma on stage and excellent acting ability.
The whole ensemble worked hard and took us all to the French Riviera and away from the snow outside. A great team who obviously enjoyed being on stage. It was also nice to see a good curtain call with a difference. Huge congratulations to you all, we enjoyed the whole show and definitely would come and see it again. This was a truly exceptionally directed and performed piece which every one of the cast should be proud to have given the audience ‘what they want!’
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