The Stage

Guildford School of Acting BA (Hons) Musical Theatre Showcase

Published Wednesday 13 July 2011 at 12:41 by Jennifer Reischel

Another Saturday Night in New York from I Love You Because, opens this season’s Guildford School of Acting BA musical theatre showcase. Flowing summer dresses and sexy miniskirts meet a mix of classic musical theatre and hip contemporary scenes and songs. Mary Fox and Catherine Mort belt out Saturday Night in the City from The Wedding Singer, continuing the set theme and giving it plenty of powerhouse New York feel. Jordan Lee Davies hits the stage with Mama Says from Footloose, leading a group of fellow grads in redneck style costumes in a rather jolly dance number. A very endearing character, Davies is in total command of the stage and sings with conviction and passion. Danny Whitehead is a highlight in the All Shook Up medley, taking on an Elvis-like persona to woo a cute and bouncy Leah Goodhind. Whitehead has one of the strongest male voices of the showcase and isn’t afraid to take on the fifties wholeheartedly, including some entertaining bopper moves and grooves in his choreography.

Experts' choices: Lucy Hope-Borne and Ben Kerr

Olivia Brereton is a beautiful girl with a sweet soprano, very suited to How Could I Ever Know from The Secret Garden. With big eyes, a lovely innocent feel and bambi-like quality, she bears a lovely contrast to Alistair Barron’s full-voiced top tenor rendition of Where in the world. Kathryn Rutherford has a very castable contemporary look and a good feel for comedy in her duet Crazier Than You from The Addams Family. Cleverly choreographed, we chuckle at arrows hitting apples and rope untying tricks on chairs, as Ryan Limb gathers laughs and applause with a sweet rendition of ‘Till Him from The Producers. Sophie Young gives a very secure and mature rendition of A Kind of Magic from We Will Rock You. With an eye-catching Bonnie-Tyler like dramatic presence and striking features, she plays the diva card successfully, while her duet partner James Ballanger partners her well, completing the rock set of the afternoon.

Rebecca Mansfield is a talented character actress who manages to play out of her age range in The Little Things you do Together from Company without seeming awkward or out of place. Victoria Serra has a stunning face and carries herself with grace in A Piece of Sky from Yentl. Christina Harris is a very talented dancer, perfectly showcased in When You’re Home from In the Heights. With a fresh disposition and plenty of heart, Harris shows she can master everything from drama to comedy. Her scene partner Ben Kerr stands out as one of the best actors of this season’s GSA showcase, his native Irish perfectly covered by a convincing command of a US accent in both his scene from In the Heights and an excerpt from Company. Kerr has a beautiful baritone voice as well as advanced jazz dancing skills, and with dark, leading-man looks proves to be the full triple-threat package.

Caroline Sabiston makes her mark with top soprano notes and some wonderfully convincing snarling as Nasty Nanny in Brimstone and Treacle from Mary Poppins. Her scene-partner Kirsty Cartwright has a pleasant soprano voice and a warm Julie Andrews-like feel to her performance. Jay Alexandra is believable as a gawky apprentice nun in an excerpt from Sister Act while her scene partner Nicolle Patrice possesses plenty of energy and pizzazz. Lucy Hope-Borne is girlishly sexy in A Little Bit in Love from Wonderful Town, a seductive ingenue with fitting vocals and stunning figure. Finishing the showcase with a Les Mis-style performance of The Dream Within from Napoleon, Craig Rhys Barlow and Joe McCourt, show leading man qualities heading the company’s closing number. Though aptly covering a broad spectrum of musical theatre material, this showcase could have done with slightly more pace, all-around age-appropriate casting and a more prominent display of the graduates’ dance skills.

Expert choices (Amy O’Neill, International Theatre and Music): Lucy Hope-Borne, Ben Kerr