‘Anastasia’ review
‘brings to life the cities of St Petersburg and Paris with grace and charm.’
Foot of the Hill Theatre Company’s production of Anastasia brings to life the cities of St Petersburg and Paris with grace and charm. The musical tells the story of the long-lost Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov as she travels to Paris with two conmen, Dimitri and Vlad, to reclaim her memories and reunite with her last remaining family. Co-Directors Tilly Horsfield and Eloise Robinson, alongside Producer Jack Guilfoyle, do a great job of transporting us into 1927 Russia with a strong ensemble and effective staging.
Anastasia (played by Samantha Sinilong) is portrayed with gracefulness alongside moments of feisty personality scattered throughout her interactions with conman Dimitri (played by Harry Graves). Sinilong’s voice shows off great control, creating many soft and beautiful moments throughout the musical. Harry Graves’ complimentary vocals pair well with Sinilong and his acting as the surprisingly sensitive conman make him a warming presence on stage. To round off the trio is Tom Cowley as Vlad who gives a spectacularly charming performance throughout the show. His rendition of ‘The Countess and the Common Man’ with Countess Lily (played by Madeleine McCrink) is full of remarkable energy and chemistry between the pair.
The cast is full of incredible talent. Each member of the ensemble (Irini Sozomenou, Teeana Sarkar, Beth Winfield, Callum Ryan, and Joshua Brooks) shines throughout different parts of the performance and the music of the show (directed by Musical Director Moritz Afridi) gives each a chance to show off their own talent. Sozomenou’s performance leading the sad lament of ‘Stay, I Pray You’ is a stand-out example of the talent within the ensemble, all of whom sing with energy and also do well to execute the clear and fluid choreography created by Choreographer Maisie James. Considering the smaller stage that St Mary’s Dining Hall hosts, credit must be given to James for staging a ballroom of waltzing ensemble within such a space. The ballet performance in Act 2 (performed by dancers Ekaterina Chasovnikova and Joshua Brooks) shows off the talented choreography that it takes to stage a play such as Anastasia and the difficulty of doing it on such a stage.
Harry Easton’s performance as the Bolshevik general Gleb stands out in his sense of conviction to his country. His strong vocals command the stage and his confrontations with Anastasia show off a complex and interesting character which makes a particularly strong foil to the rest of the cast. Contrasting this revolutionary commitment to Russia is the Dowager Empress (played by Izzy MacIntosh) and her lady-in-waiting Countess Lily, who both portray a clear sense of regalness with ease. McCrink’s performance of ‘Land of Yesterday’ comes with an infectiously natural energy with choreography and vocals to match and is certainly a highlight of the show.
The production team (headed by Production Manager Carlos Davies and Assistant Production Manager Grace Campbell) created a simple yet effective backdrop which transforms the stage from St Petersburg to Paris. The lighting provides a subtle enhancement to the mood of each scene and though there was a small issue with the syncing of the lighting with some scenes it was overall used well. A credit must be given to the entire production team for their work on the show and for working with the tight transitions between scenes on the Mary’s stage; they allow for a show full of bright moments and strong cast to shine in what was a fun and memorable night.
By Alex McNeice.