Theatre Review: Annie – A foot tapping show-stopping performance of the worlds most famous orphan is back.
Annie is an evening full of music, song, and dance. The production is based on the book written by Thomas Meehan about the well know children’s favorite redhead orphan Annie, with lyrics and music by Martin Charnin and Charles Strouse respectively. The songs – well-known tracks such as Hard Knock Life, Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile, and the instantly hummable Tomorrow, are fantastically sung by the cast in this production.
Annie is the leader of the girls who are resident at Miss Hannigan’s grimy orphanage in New York. Annie (Freya Yates) is a streetwise girl with a lot of fight in her and is always ready to stand her ground. Annie escapes the orphanage an on her return encounters the pretty Grace Farrell (Carolyn Maitland) who is looking to give a lucky orphan a two week Christmas break. Grace is the assistant to the highly successful businessman Daddy Warbucks (Alex Bourne) and is everything that Miss Hannigan (Craig Revell Horwood) is not. Daddy Warbucks is a commanding character who has his heart stolen by Annie and realises there is more to life than making money. Craig Revell Horwood’s performance of Miss Hannigan as the shambolic, alcoholic guardian of the orphans, evokes pathos as well as fear and also brought some hugely comic moments to the show.
Related: Theatre Review: Club Tropicana – The Musical
The orphans are very energetic and well choreographed as they chase beds buckets and brooms across the stage. The whole audience during our performance was charmed by the loveable stray dog Sandy, who becomes Annie’s pet. Costumes reflected the contrast between the huge wealth and absolute poverty which was present in America during the great depression. The Warbucks excessive lifestyle, complete with glamorous parties, champagne, and dancing butlers symbolised the hope of everyday Americans who perhaps would wish to be as lucky as Annie.
The stage decoration is a modern set made up of jigsaw pieces representing the different pieces of Annie’s life. The musical setting also perhaps acts as a reminder that this is the story of a child who has been too busy cleaning and surviving life so far to have had the opportunity to have had the luxury of the time to spend doing jigsaw puzzles. This musical is a slick, foot tapping, and excellent lighthearted evening’s entertainment.
Annie is a roller coaster ride of the highs and lows in this little girl’s life and is a brilliant evening of entertainment from start to finish with a highly skilled cast impressing you to the last. A great show that is truly suitable for all the family.
Annie was reviewed at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking and is currently touring the country.
