NODA Review: Ragtime

General

Centre Stage’s continuing celebration of their 50 th anniversary is giving their audiences a succession of real

treats displaying the considerable range and depth of talent within their ranks. This was a story set at the start

of the 20 th Century up until the outbreak of World War One. Ragtime music being very much the popular

sound of the time was used to good atmospheric effect throughout. Every member of the cast sang well and

this was a strong component but much more they gave us some stunning moments of real drama which made

it much more than another musical.

The pre-show announcement to turn off phones was done well and indicated the show was about to start

which it did in spectacular fashion.

Although the house was a full one it was a great shame more people could not have enjoyed what was a

milestone in amateur musical theatre. With some stunning and memorable performances from every member

of the cast this was a must see. At the show I met a previous NODA rep along with other audience members

who were equally impressed indeed the overall audience reaction was extremely positive. Clearly everyone

both enjoyed the show and appreciated the efforts of all involved.

The story uses three definite family groups as strands against the key elements of the time and only comes

together at the end of the second act which kept you enthralled throughout.

Players

Michael Smith (Father) as the father of a small family who goes off on a voyage of exploration and during his

absence a whole series of incidents changes his family forever. His return was a pivotal moment and Michael’s

acting skills gave that moment real impact.

Trudi Camilleri (Mother) gave a strong performance which was critical to the plot. Excellent singing and strong

acting skills making the character stand out as a strong woman with a keen sense of justice dealing with some

traumatic situations on all sides. Hers was a cornerstone performance that gave much to the rest of the cast.

Chris Hughes-Copping (Boy) is another individual who facially appears much younger than he is. Add to this

some well observed mannerisms of how adolescent boys behave and we had an excellent piece of character

work.

Will Howells (Younger Brother) as the uncle in the household had an interesting role that took him on a journey

0f self discovery that only found solid ground toward the end of the show. Playing a character which is a bit

flaky can often be difficult yet he managed to display the evolution of the role well.

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Michael Onobanjo-Whittaker (Coalhouse Walker Jr.) gave what was the stand out performance of the night. As

a man oppressed by society only because of the colour of his skin he took us through a range of emotions

making each credible and well crafted. A good all round performer acting and dancing well this was the anchor

for the rest of the show.

Sara Rajeswaran (Sara) as Coalhouses partner and mother to his child gave us a strong and sensitive

performance. An excellent singing voice and some really subtle acting skills made the part iconic.

Phillip Doyle (Tateh) as a poor immigrant father whose main drive was protecting his daughter gave us a strong

and convincing characterisation with all the angst and frustrations such a character would have gone through.

An excellent Eastern European accent added to the part.

Marsha Blake (Girl) as a young girl again grasped the character well. She is someone who is difficult to age and

this meant she pulled off playing someone much younger than she is really easily. Adopting the mannerisms

and actions which would be typical of a young girl added to the creation of a key character in the story.

Basil Zafiropoulous (Stanford White), Daniel Haswell (Henson) and Tasha Msanide (Harry K Thaw) all performed

well in the more minor roles contributing to the overall feel of the show.

Daisy Simpson (Admiral Perry) as the famous American admiral had an interesting role. Her strong voice was

again used well in the role and gave her the sort of authority you would expect from a naval commander.

Gabi Benton-Stace (Harry Houdini) as Harry Houdini a strong iconic figure of the time merged in and out of the

action emerging as the character simply by wearing a distinctive hat. Again hers was an excellent strong acting

performance full of self confidence that added to the shows strong story line and the historical backdrop.

Lora Jones (Houdini’s Mother) delivered what was a key supporting role well.

Lauren Nixon (Kathleen) gave a good performance as a downtrodden beggar using both posture and costume

to good effect blending in and out of the ensemble well.

Lesley Birch (Doctor /Mrs Whitsen) played her part well adding some excellent dancing throughout.

Masimba Ushe (Booker T Washington) had an amazing speaking voice deep and with a great tone. Playing an

early spokesman for Americans of colour, the voice gave his performance real credible force. His singing voice

was surprising, being a tone of two above.

Sean Westwood (Willy Conklin) as a racist whose actions precipitate Coalhouses understandable reaction was

good and convincing in the role. Of course these days such sentiments are difficult to understand and given

the setting some 40 years after the civil war perhaps added to the historical context.

Siobhan Aarons (Evelyn Nesbit) as the vampish Evelyn gave us a strong character aided by a stunning costume

that was both credible and perfect for the moment showing the social dynamic’s of a world changing rapidly

Stephanie Da Silva Jardim (Brigit) had a number of moments in the show where she came to the fore. This was

an excellent performance that projected attitude and reflected the character in context.

Stephen Hewitt (JP Morgan Henry Ford) played two on the most well known and iconic American

entrepreneurs switch between them by changing his hat. The characters were similar and he gave both real

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presence, as would have been the fact in life. This was an excellent contribution to the evening’s

entertainment.

Tal Hewitt (Emma Goldman) played the role well with some striking facial and body language work that helped

define the character.

Director

Toby Hine clearly used the space and the performers well working things out visually though at times we had

action going on in different sections of the catwalk which was a little distracting. Indeed this is often a factor in

theatre in the round. Nevertheless the overall impact was stunning and the singing spectacular making the

whole very much greater than the sum of its parts.

Musical Director

Ben Ferguson led a huge orchestra visible throughout at one end of the catwalk and all dressed in formal style

added to the feel of the time. They produced a good and balanced sound throughout which underlined and

supported the singers on stage.

Choreographer

Lemington Ridley had clearly worked well to give the movement a powerful compelling almost flood like feel

working well, with some excellent dancers to give us an amazing theatrical experience and a stunning feel

throughout.

Stage Management

Since this was an open space with nowhere to hide the stage management was a major factor in delivering the

shows considerable visual impact. Well worked out with everyone knowing exactly where to be to the second

this was an impressive factor.

Sound

The sound was clear and balanced which given the size of the orchestra was a must. Once or twice at the early

stages some of the mics seem to cut out but this was quickly rectified. It was opening night though.

Lighting

The lighting worked well and was precisely co-ordinated with the action on stage highlighting key moments to

good effect,

Make-up

The make –up again helped define the role and status of each performer. Subtle and well thought out this was

a small but key element in the shows impact.

Set Design

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The stage being a raised broad catwalk did not really need a set and the actors used their own talent along with

some interesting props to conjure up the Edwardian era. The audience sat both sides of the catwalk giving

them a much closer view than normal. At times we had a number of situations at once and as is often the case

playing in the round you needed to be alert to catch it all.

Props

The props were all used well some contemporary umbrellas giving a dance routine greater impact. The use of

various items to form a model T ford worked brilliantly avoiding the need for a bulky pre built version. All in all

the props formed a useful addition to the show without ever overshadowing the performances.

Costumes

The use of some stunning Edwardian costumes was central in establishing who was who and how they fitted

together. Class and social status were again reinforced giving the social width a degree of reality.

Programme

The programme was excellent programme a must enter for the regional competition. The pictures of the cast

in costume giving a period feel to it. Some interesting articles allowed us some insight into the creative

processes at work which again added to the audience’s appreciation of the show.

Front of house

The front of house was provided by staff from the venue, who made an excellent job of it. Making people feel

welcome and dealing with everything with great confidence and effectiveness.

Tony Sweeney

Regional Representative

NODA London