The Stage

Annie Get Your Gun

Published Monday 19 October 2009 at 11:20 by Lisa Martland

Judge the Young Vic’s new revival of Irving Berlin’s musical masterpiece purely on its production values and it will be found wanting. Switch the focus to the show’s enthusiastic, talented ensemble and the infectious, feelgood atmosphere they create, then it is a whole different shooting match.

Director Richard Jones’ task is a tricky one, for it is a challenge to stage this old-fashioned Broadway classic about sharp-shooting legend Annie Oakley in a relatively intimate space, and one that demands heaps of originality. Occasionally there are glimmers of this, particularly during the scene when Oakley’s spectacular new gun trick is all suggested via sound effects and the reactions of those on stage watching.

However, elsewhere Jones appears to leave members of the ensemble unsure of where to stand or dance, a situation exacerbated by Philippe Giraudeau’s uninspired choreography (the I Got the Sun in the Morning number is a wasted opportunity) and the limitations of Ultz’s letterbox-shaped set.

What is a joy is having the opportunity to hear Herbert and Dorothy Fields’ libretto and Berlin’s beautiful score delivered by a dedicated ensemble. As Oakley’s rival and sweetheart Frank Butler, Julian Ovenden is on excellent form, his performance of My Defences Are Down being a real highlight. The chemistry between Ovenden and Jane Horrocks’ Oakley is also entirely believable.

Casting Horrocks comes as a contrast to many of those powerhouse actresses who have played the role in the past. But while she sometimes tries a little too hard with her hillbilly accent and the demands of the score obviously test her voice, she makes up for that with guts and personality.

Final credits must go to musical supervisor/arranger Jason Carr and md James McKeon. The decision to have four pianists across the breadth of the stage playing the score is probably one of the most inspired creative decisions of the whole production.