‘TCMS Through Time’ review
‘a creative, ambitious, and wonderful show that offers something for everyone’
TCMS Through Time is an artistic walk down memory lane of Trevelyan College Musical Society. Director Madeline McCrink, Producer Georgia Corbett-Clark, and Production Manager Bryony Curley bring together an engaging show for all kinds of musical theatre lovers. It is an incredible rendition of many beloved classic musicals, with the cast and band beautifully transporting you to each world they perform from, embodying and understanding the very essence of every song.
The show opens with the immensely energetic and fun tunes of ‘Anything Goes’, chaotic and joyful in the best way possible, setting the tone for what is a wonderfully varied evening. From there, Irini Sozomenou delivers a mesmerising rendition of ‘Come to Your Senses’, a number that draws you in completely with expressions that seem to convey every little thing being felt, paired with a masterful delivery of every word and note. The emotional range on display early on makes it clear that this cast is more than capable of holding their own across very different material.
That versatility continues to shine as the show moves through its setlist. Abbie Wells performs ‘Don't Rain on My Parade’ with such conviction that the emotion becomes genuinely palpable, while Matteo Fronduti and Molly Winchurst bring a playfully competitive energy to ‘Anything You Can Do’, navigating its famous vocal technicalities with ease and obvious delight. The momentum carries into ‘I Can't Say No’, a definite highlight of the evening. Its fun, flirty, and wonderfully quirky nature is perfectly captured by Livia Zuercher’s performance, which is both emotionally charged and energetic.
Not every moment is built for energy, though, and the show is all the richer for it. The desperately hopeful melody of ‘I Know It's Today’ is performed by Irini Sozomenou, Daisy Mitcham-Harding and Ellie Kinch, each representing a passage of time. The song starts childishly hopeful, flowing into teenage angst and sarcastic humour, and concludes with existential dread. Each stage is masterfully encapsulated and is one of the most genuinely moving moments of the night.
‘No More’, performed by Cyril Chan and Nat Verdin, follows with a tone that is quirky, hilarious and refreshingly real. Running underneath, all of this is the exceptional work of the band, led by Dan Wattis, with vocals directed by Will Konko and choreography by Rebekah Hart. Their contribution becomes increasingly impossible to ignore as the show progresses, particularly towards the end of the first act and across the second. The jukebox medley sequence captures this beautifully, with the entire cast, band and tech team working together seamlessly to deliver something genuinely electric. Finlay Gatehouse's rendition of ‘Great Balls of Fire’ stands out as a particular highlight, full of charisma and energy.
This show does ask for a certain degree of grace and patience from its audience, which is entirely understandable given the mammoth task of performing songs from so many different musicals, each carrying vastly different emotions, styles, choreography and songs. Moving between the bright comic energy of one number and the quiet emotional weight of another is no small feat, and there are moments where the transitions ask the audience to recalibrate alongside the performers. There are moments where the singers and their performances take centre stage, drawing you into the heart of a character or story, others where the band's music commands your full attention, and then moments where the cast's dancing and choreography keeps you thoroughly hooked. Each element gets its time to breathe and be appreciated on its own terms. It is a testament to the vision of Madeline McCrink, and to the hard work of every performer, musician and crew member that it holds together as well as it does.
TCMS Through Time is a creative, ambitious, and wonderful show that offers something for everyone. For the dedicated musical theatre lover, it is a nostalgic and joyful trip through some of the most beloved songs the genre has to offer. For those less familiar with the world of musicals, it works almost like a trailer, offering a taste of so many different shows that there is every chance you will find yourself walking away curious about a song, a story or a character you had never encountered before.
By Sonakshikaa Singh.