LAVENDER THEATRE
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was an absolute treat to visit the new 250 seater open-air Lavender Theatre in Epsom just a short walk from Epsom Downs station, to review their inaugural new production of Irving Berlin’s ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (Junction 8 on the M25 if travelling by car)
What a FABULOUS show they have created and what a wonderful place Lavender Theatre is 💜
Lavender fields, stunning sunsets, gorgeous trees, delicious shortbread AND the show!!
A superb, accomplished cast of fifteen, accompanied by a top-notch seven-piece orchestra led by MD Debbi Clarke, fill the stage with some of Irving Berlin’s best-loved songs, starting as they mean to go on with an invigorating ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’ in “all-singing, all-dancing, gun-toting glory!”
Definitely worth a trip this summer but only playing until the 5th of August so get your skates on!
Annie Get Your Gun has not previously been one of my ‘go-to’ shows though I’ve always loved the wonderful Berlin songs 🎶…
•They Say It’s Wonderful
•Doing’ What Comes Naturally
•You Can’t Get A Man With A Gun
•My Defences Are Down
•I Got The Sun In The Morning •Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better
But I’ve never much connected with the show before…
HOWEVER… Director and Choreographer, Simon Hardwick has truly brought new fresh life with this dazzling production!
Onc of the things I loved most was how believable everyone on stage was ~ proper ‘real’ characters rather than 2 dimensional steeotypes. The story comes alive and makes sense. Independent Annie Oakley and Set-in his-macho-ways Frank become infatuated with one another because of that mad phenomenon known as ‘Opposites Attract’ bolstered by a ton of palpable chemistry.
Of course the path to true love is not straight forward and they have to stubbornly hate each other before admitting to true love ~ the stuff of all great musicals…
There is great energy and pace throughout with much wit, hilarity and sass from a very accomplished young cast.
Great ease, style and huge likability, alongside tons of charisma holding attention throughout vividly evoking the spirit of Buffalo Bill’s touring Wild West Music Hall shows!
Leading the cast and a complete revelation is SuRie known to most people through Eurovision. Her Annie Oakley is feisty, sassy and multi-dimensional, singing every song with intense emotion, musicality and much nuance. Crystal clear beautiful vocals and a natural storyteller who brings life and light to every single word. Gorgeous!
Matching her every inch of the way is fabulous Charlie McCullagh (most recently seen in Bonnie & Clyde the Musical and soon to be seen in 42 Balloons) swashbuckling his way around the stage as infuriating, macho, proud and stubborn Frank Butler.
Sizzling chemistry between these two with easy, stylish, stage presence and charisma in bucketloads!
Anything You Can Do was hilarious!
•Chlöe Hart (Catherine of Aragon in the national tour of ‘Six’) is a robust, sassy and very funny Dolly Tate.
•Joe Boyle (‘Top Hat’, ‘Heathers’) is hapless Charlie Davenport. Gorgeous voice!
•Elliot Broadfoot, a 2023 graduate from Leeds Conservatoire, makes his professional debut as Buffalo Bill and what a glorious voice he has!
•Nina Bell and Joseph Veller are gorgeous as the young desperate-to-wed couple and both are superb, seemingly effortless, accomplished dancers! Charming and extremely watchable.
The rest of the company are equally brilliant featuring a wealth of credits:
•Kyerron Dixon-Bassey (‘From Here To Eternity)
•Jay Faisca (‘Henry VI: Days of Rebellion’) •Marisa Harris (‘Yeast Nation’, ‘Tony! The Tony Blair Rock Opera’)
•Holly Lawrence (‘Grease’, Royal Caribbean)
•AJ Lewis (‘Mandela’, ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’)
There are also 3 very wonderful children completing the cast. They are really terrific and very engaging!
You can also enjoy a picnic in the grounds before the show (the theatre even do a VIP picnic basket ticket you can purchase for ease!), and enjoy delicious Lavender shortbread, Lavender teas before and in the interval alongside a bar.
Lavender Theatre have a sure fire hit on their hands this summer in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN!
An engaging, funny, wonderful classic musical full of gorgeous, top tapping iconic songs that almost everyone knows and a SUPERB company singing, acting and dancing their hearts out!
Annie Get Your Gun plays at Lavender Theatre, Epsom until Saturday 5th August 2023
Tickets can be purchased from Lavender Productions:
Production Photos by Harry Elletson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reviewed by Catherine Françoise Friday 21st July 2023
Mozart to Musicals 