NODA Review: Fame

General

This was a lively and extremely energetic musical to kick off the 2017 Centre Stage season. An exceptional and

very talented chorus worked hard making it look effortless. The show based on the film and the popular TV

series used many characters we were familiar with using different names but maintaining the overall feel of the

classic school for performing arts.

Players -Leading

Claire Linney (Ms Bell) as the dance teacher who was very much the iconic figure in the TV show. She gave us

an excellent characterisation of a strong woman passionate about dance and this came across through her

performance. Her duet with Miss Sherman “teachers argument” was full of passion and emotion as each

wrestled with conflicting values.

Charlie Houseago (Schlomo) as the musical genius Schlomo was convincing in the part his blossoming

partnership with Carmen another unlikely pairing was one of the themes running through the show. Their song

“bring on tomorrow” developed into a powerful anthem reprised at the end to mark her death this was a

powerfully emotional moment.

Dean James (Tyrone) as the brilliant street dancer with real academic problems Tyrone was all attitude and

bluster refusing to acknowledge or face his problems. His unlikely relationship with Iris being the catalyst that

turns him round. This was a really strong piece of acting and his dancing was fantastic. This was the part that

anchored the whole show and he was perfect for the role.

Emma Newman (Lambchops) played a very competent drummer with an interesting and strong character to

match. This was a strong supporting role that she delivered well.

Glen Jordon (Nick) as the acting obsessed Nick played the part well. His eventual pairing with Serena was an

excellent sub plot that showed the human side of the show. A good singer and a good character actor this was

a good part for him.

James Newell (Mr. Myers) as the head of the school gave an authoritative performance which enhanced the

show backbone as a school with all the conflicting pressures at work.

Chris Cahill (Joe) as the rather lively character of Joe delivered his part well. Some exuberant acting and

passionate outbursts worked well.

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Jon Haines (Goody) as Goody became part of a very unlikely in school band and his part blended well with the

other two members. This was an excellent supporting performance.

Laura Ellis (Serena) as the rather bookish Serena gave a great performance. She has an excellent and powerful

singing voice and a strong stage presence that she used to deliver and excellent character. Her rendition of

“Lets play a love scene” was full of the emotion of a woman in love with someone who seems not to care.

Nicole Seymour (Mabel) as Mabel whose love of food is giving her problems with the demands of the stage.

Her song “Mabel’s prayer” was excellent giving her strong and soulful voice a great outlet.

Samantha Miller (Iris) as a very elegant Ballet dancer who falls in love with Tyrone which led to the enchanting

“Pas de deux” which was a strong moment where the two unlikely partners come together. Samantha gave an

excellent performance in quite an unusual role.

Stewart McGhee (Mr. Sheinkopf) as the rather uptight Sheinkopf gave a strong piece of character acting which

contrasted with those around him. It was an interesting part.

Trish Butterfield (Miss Sherman) gave us another strong performance as one of the key members of staff. A

great voice which gave us “these are my children” she sang with real feeling that underlines the commitment

all teachers have for their role.

Yvette Shiel (Carmen) as the fame hungry even desperate, Carmen gave us a larger than life character. An

excellent singer and good dancer she really is the full package. The scene just prior to her death brought

everything down to earth and gave the show its hook.

Support

The chorus was particularly strong helping create the feel of a school throughout. Indeed this was a chorus

centred show which demanded a very talented group of supporting players to work effectively and it certainly

did that.

Director

Stuart James in his note acknowledged the need to get to the core and spirit of the show and build from there.

With such a strong cultural memory of the period this was a challenge he met well.

Musical Director

Hayden Taylor led the band well giving us a supportive level of sound that enhanced the on stage performers

efforts to give us an enjoyable experience all round.

Choreographers

Paul Brookland Williams and Samantha Herriot had to cover a vast range of dance styles from ballet to hip hop

and tap often mixing them into newer and distinctive forms. Having a strong core of ballet trained dancers

clearly helped but everyone played their part to deliver a real visual spectacular.

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Stage Management

The open stage needed to be well managed to keep the high energy show going. The cast did quite a bit of

moving things on an off in character and helped keep the flow. The non cast, stage manager also worked well

in a dark costume and so not too visually distracting.

Sound

The sound was well balanced and reinforced the singing and dancing well. Clear and audible, it was a strong

part of the show.

Lighting

The lighting was used well illuminating the main singers and helping differentiate between scenes. The use of

lights to depict the New York skyline was a nice touch.

Make-up

The make up was done well with that for Carmen when she returns on the verge of dying particularly striking.

She was transformed from a vibrant young woman to a hollow shell and the make up reinforced the high spot

of her performance.

Set Design

An open set was used well based mainly on the school as a venue. Two large mirrors were used to simulate a

dance studio and this helped create the illusion perfectly.

Props

The props were all well planned in their use. I like the use of a Rubrics cube to help reinforce the period. In

fact all the props fitted the period well good attention to detail a sign of real professionalism.

Costumes

The costumes were in keeping with both the show and the time it was set. Did we ever think leggings and head

bands were trendy? The range of costumes also helped the characters evolve on stage a key ingredient.

Programme

The programme was well designed giving us the usual information and some insight into the thinking behind

the show. The bios were well written and showed us the wide range of individuals involved in the production.

Front of house

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The front of house crew, were well organised and dealt with everything that was thrown at them. As this was

another sell out performance managing the audience members to find seats when in the main they were

unreserved meant they had to work hard right up to curtain up.

Tony Sweeney

Regional Representative

NODA London