‘What Dreams Are Made Of’ review
‘a testament to the fact that musical talent is alive and well within Durham Student Theatre’
Oswald’s Players’ Theatre Company, led in this showcase by Director Joshua Brooks, certainly made a strong impression for the musical talent it possesses. The showcase, performed at Mount Oswald Hub, had the company perform a multitude of songs from musical theatre and films, demonstrating not only singing, but dance, acting, and instrumental talent too. Often, musical numbers were preceded by a short extract of acting from the show by the performers, which was a helpful guide to the context of the song.
The showcase began impressively with the opening number from Six, ‘Ex-Wives’, which established early on the huge vocal and dance talent the company had. It was then followed by the instrumental trio made up of Evie Bush (Drums), Omid Britton (Trumpet) and Band Musical Director Isaac Organ (Keys), who played ‘Cantina Band’ from the Star Wars score extremely well.
Production Manager and Vocal Musical Director Abbie Wells channelled Cynthia Erivo in her rendition of ‘No Good Deed’ from Wicked, giving one of the standout performances of the night. Wells was pitch perfect throughout the entire challenging song and impressively held her own against the difficult power belts that many have become familiar with since the release of Wicked: For Good. Wells continued to impress with the entire company as she led the haunting group song ‘Doubt Comes In’ from Hadestown as Orpheus; with Eve Pearce as Eurydice, they made a devastating end to the first half. In the second act, Irini Sozomenou gave another standout performance, singing ‘Dead Mom’ from Beetlejuice. A notoriously difficult song, but made to look easy by Sozomenou’s goosebump-inducing powerhouse vocals.
Thanks to the work of Choreographers Maisie James and Emily Stewart, the dance numbers were visually stunning. Whilst being sung magnificently, La La Land’s ‘Another Day of Sun’ as the opening of Act Two was simultaneously choreographed brilliantly, and made an energetic, colourful, and joyful start to the second half. The solo performance to ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ from Grease was a beautifully technical and dynamic piece. The penultimate performance of ‘Fame’ from Fame was vibrant and extremely in-sync, where some dancers were able to show off particularly impressive tricks – a highlight being a high lift and perfect splits mid-air!
Credit goes Tom Rickman, who designed and operated both the light and the sound for the showcase. The lighting was especially crucial to matching the songs to their shows, creating a nostalgic feel for anyone familiar with them in the audience. In particular, highlights were the nautical wash of the blue and green in ‘Part of Your World’, flashing red and gold reminiscent of a circus ring in ‘Come Alive’ and the six colours for six queens at the end of ‘Ex-Wives’ which left memorable, dramatic silhouettes and a strong first impression for the rest of the show.
Undoubtedly, the smaller group song performances were a huge highlight of the show. In particular, ‘Requiem’ from Dear Evan Hansen was sung beautifully by Asha Derrick, with the overlapping voices of Evie Wollacott and Lulu Dodds supporting the harmonies perfectly. ABBA’s ‘Money, Money, Money’ from Mamma Mia was similarly captivating for the cool, comedic lead provided by Lulu Dodds, supported by Maisie James and Ruby Briggs as Tanya and Rosie respectively who helped contribute a level of sass that the audience enjoyed immensely.
Ultimately, every member of this company should be extremely proud of themselves and this showcase, which was performed seamlessly, a testament to the fact that musical talent is alive and well within Durham Student Theatre!
By Gemma Christie.
What Dream Are Made Of is showing on Monday 9th February at 7pm in Mount Oswald Hub.