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Worzel Gummidge the Musical

Published Monday 22 December 2008 at 11:10 by Susan Elkin

You know you’re in for a treat as soon as you step inside Trinity’s foyer and see lovingly made scarecrows everywhere.

They are all round the auditorium too. And you are certainly not disappointed. This is a very strong, gently funny show with oodles of charm. Think Christmas play with music hall elements and a few pantomimic bits although, wisely there are not too many of the latter.

Lawrence Brown as the wobbly-bodied, outrageously unrepentant, gibberish-voiced, straw-spilling Worzel Gummidge drips theatrical charisma - and his flickering turquoise tongue has a fascination all of its own.

Caroline Fenton, with her fine singing voice and terrific range of subtly observed accents gives us an enjoyable Aunt Sally. Derek Holland is an appealing crow man who does some attractive direct-to-audience numbers while the fruity voiced Michael Elliott is excellent - imagine a borrowing from Dad’s Army disguised as a leafy beetroot - as Sergeant Beetroot.

The large supporting cast adds some imaginative chorus work and two children with impressive stage presence. The live music is beautifully played off stage on keyboards, fiddle and percussion. I particularly liked the morris dance and the chase music.

Trinity Theatre has had a difficult year, having lost its ACE subsidy in the spring. This production, which uses a large rotating amateur cast around four local professionals, is part of its concerted effort to find new ways of working. If it can mount shows of this quality then the organisation more than deserves to survive.

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