Carly Mercedes Dyer

High Society

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Reviewed by Matt Forrest

Opening Night verdict ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The social event of the year has just arrived at The Lowry, and everyone is invited. Cole Porter’s High Society promises plenty of glitz, glamour, gossip and a side order of scandal, but, more importantly, some absolute classic songs from Porter’s back catalogue.

Direct from a sell-out run at London’s Barbican Theatre, this glossy hit show is now touring the UK and Ireland. Based on the 1956 film of the same name, which starred Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra, the musical itself was adapted from the 1940 non-musical film The Philadelphia Story.

Helen George stars as socialite Tracy Lord, a member of the extremely wealthy Lord family. It’s the weekend of Tracy’s wedding to accountant and safe pair of hands George Kittredge (David Seadon-Young), whom Tracy’s family don’t particularly approve of on account of his being, well, rather dull and boring.

Things become considerably more complicated with the arrival of Tracy’s charismatic ex-husband Dexter Haven (Julian Ovenden), who has crashed the wedding with news of a brewing scandal that could potentially ruin the Lord family name.

Adding further fuel to the fire are two undercover reporters from Spy Magazine, Mike Connor (Freddie Fox) and Liz Imbrie (Carly Mercedes Dyer), who have been sent to dig up some dirt and, hopefully, secure a few more salacious stories.

What follows is a fun and thoroughly enjoyable show, packed with big song and dance numbers, top-drawer performances and stunning costumes, all of which do a good job of disguising a rather paper-thin and contrived plot.

This talented ensemble cast seem to have come straight from central casting. Helen George brings plenty of star quality to the role, displaying great comic timing alongside a tremendous vocal range. She is perfectly complemented by musical theatre veteran Julian Ovenden and musical theatre debutant Freddie Fox, with all three displaying terrific chemistry whenever they share the stage.

Fox, in particular, makes a confident transition into a convincing song and dance man. His performance brings plenty of energy to the production, and he clearly looks at home in his musical theatre debut.

They are supported by some fine comedic turns from Nigel Lindsay as the kindly drunk Uncle Willie and Carly Mercedes Dyer. Lindsay’s is an entertaining watch throughout: his turn during the act one ensemble closer Now You Have Jazz, was for me the one of the show’s many highlights.

Meanwhile, Dyer’s dry, deadpan delivery of some of the production’s more stinging lines is perfectly matched by her heartfelt and tender rendition of I’ve Got You Under My Skin.

As this is a Cole Porter musical, the real star of the show is always going to be his fantastic songbook, and this impressive cast and band more than does it justice.

Fox and Dyer deliver a fun rendition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, while George and the ensemble cast bring the house down with the magnificently naughty Let’s Misbehave. Ovenden, meanwhile, excels in the slower and more wistful Just One of Those Things.

Cole Porter’s music sounds magnificent, brought to life by the superb band under the direction of Dan McLaughlin, while Anthony Van Laast’s choreography is slick, complementing the score perfectly.

The production values are first class, bringing to life the decadent lifestyle of the Lord family. John Morrell’s costumes are sharp and elegant, fully recapturing the 1950s razzmatazz, while Tom Rogers’ bold and lavish set design, complete with flowing staircases and a swimming pool, perfectly sets the scene.

Threadbare plot aside, and with perhaps a few too many drunken revellers running around the stage during the second act (we get the point, it’s a party!), I’m always amazed at how quickly affairs and infidelity are forgiven in productions from this era, while being a bit of a bore appears to be the ultimate sin. Different times, I suppose.

High Society is a fun and classy night at the theatre, showcasing talent from across the board who are all at the top of their game. My advice? Should an invitation ever arrive for a Lord family wedding, go. You’ll have a fantastic time and get the chance to revisit some timeless tunes along the way.

High Society is at the Lowry until Saturday 3rd October tickets are available here.

A Chorus Line

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Reviewed by Nikki Cotter

Opening Night verdict ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Created by Michael Bennet in 1975, A Chorus Line lifts the curtain on the sacrifices performers make in a bid to book a job within the chorus of a Broadway show. Using real life interviews with Broadway dancers as it’s source material, A Chorus Line offers audiences a wholly authentic glimpse into both the audition process and the lives of the performers we so often see on stage yet know very little about beyond their beaming smiles at the curtain call.

This Leicester Curve production with Director Nikolai Foster at the helm has taken this much-loved story and executed a beautiful, memorable revival.

A Chorus Line is a complete ensemble show, there are no real leads, a stripped back set and few costume changes ensuring the characters and their stories are at the absolute heart of this piece. The whole cast are on stage for almost the entirety of the production as they deliver their own individual stories that go way beyond blood, sweat and tears in a bid to make it to the illustrious Broadway stage.

Opening impressively with I Hope I Get It the standard is quickly set for this revamped production. As numbers get cut the chorus line of hopefuls under the watchful eye of director Zach (Adam Cooper), take their moment in the spotlight, giving us a glimpse into their lives beyond the stage, their struggles to get there and the life experiences which have shaped their personalities.

Ellen Kane’s exquisite choreography is integrated superbly within the individual testimonies, it feels fresh, punchy and exhilarating. This is further enhanced by Howard Hudson’s stunning lighting design, which is at times breathtaking. The addition of close-up filming at times which is then projected largely onto the back of the stage could be polarising for audiences, for me it didn’t feel necessary and at times proved to be a distraction rather than an enhancement.

This cast are undoubtedly excellent, each has a unique ability to draw you in. From Chloe Saunders brilliant and witty delivery of Dance: Ten; Looks: Three to Manuel Pacific’s emotive personal disclosure scene as wannabe star Paul San Marco, each character feels authentic and believable.

Returning to the production are audience favourites Carly Mercedes Dyer as Cassie, and Adam Cooper as Zach, they are joined by an immensely talented cast who each showcase their skills both physically and vocally. Jocasta Almgill as Diana Morales gives a powerhouse performance with her knockout rendition of What I Did For Love. Amy Thornton, Lydia Bannister and Kate Parr are equally as affecting during At the Ballet while Redman Rance showcases Kane’s choreography to perfection during, I Can Do That.

This cleverly crafted revival feels fresh and exciting and takes the audience on a journey of exhilarating highs and painful lows as we feel for each and every auditionee. The devastation for those who don’t make it is swiftly followed by elation for those who do, that’s showbusiness as they say.

Running straight through at 1hr 50mins we are rewarded with a thrilling finale as the familiar intro for One begins. Stories of struggle and sacrifice make this dazzling finale seem all the more magical as the cast high-kick in unison while the pyrotechnics illuminate the stage in a finale that will long live in the memory.

A Chorus Line is on at The Lowry until Saturday 27th July tickets available here.

Anything Goes

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Reviewed by Jodie Crawford

Opening Night verdict ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

First seen on Broadway in 1934, Anything Goes premiered at a time when the general public were unable to afford a theatre ticket due to the Great Depression, and those who were lucky enough to be able to buy a ticket needed a distraction from the drudgery of living in such difficult times. Fast forward nearly 90 years (I know! Can you believe it – nearly 90 years! ) and here we are again sitting in those velvet seats waiting to be transported to a world away from Brexit and partygate and fuel hikes.

Anything  Goes is a spectacular revival of a classic musical from a golden age and it doesn’t disappoint. It is predominantly set aboard a cruise liner crossing the Atlantic from New York to London. Where celebrities are in short supply and high demand.

We begin by meeting the Elisha Whitney (Simon Callow), a successful business man who is preparing to sail to England for the Henley Regatta. His trusted young assistant Billy Crocker (Samuel Edwards) is to organise Whitney’s paperwork for his trip and meet him with his passport ready to board. When Billy discovers that Hope Harcourt, a young lady that he had a brief romantic encounter with is to also sail to England, where she will marry Lord Evelyn, he stows away on board with hilarious consequences.

Hope Harcourt (Nicole-Lilly Baisden) is promised to another, Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (played by the hilarious Haydn Oakley) . Her mother, Evangeline Harcourt (played by the legend that is Bonnie Langford) wants Hope to marry the Lord in order to secure their financial future.

Billy Crocker along with his new found friend Moonface Martin (Olivier Award winner Denis Lawson) hatch a plan or two to win Hope’s heart and call off the upcoming nuptials. Samuel Edwards is a delight in the role of Billy, he’s easy to love and he wins the audience over quickly, and what a voice – he was 100% pitch perfect in every number. 

Kerry Ellis as Reno Sweeny guides us majestically and magnificently through the narrative. She dominates the stage- her vocals are outstanding and it’s easy to see why she has been cast in so many big productions both in the West End and on Broadway. 

The big numbers such as Anything Goes and Blow Gabriel Blow bring the house down- they are glitzy, glamorous and the audience lap it up! Kerry Ellis owns this stage: her singing and dancing is top-class. Personally, I would have liked to have seen more of these incredible big numbers: Some of the scenes in the opening of Act one were slow paced and lacking in the same pizzazz as the bigger numbers. But it didn’t distract from the sleekness of the production and the talent of all of the cast including the brilliant ensemble acting as sailors, passengers, and angels.

Denis Lawson was a revelation to me in his role as Moonface Martin. He was polished in his delivery and his comedic timing was second to none. Every scene that he played was a roaring delight- he was also super quick and light on his feet too. A highlight was his duet “Friendship” with Kerry Ellis, which I sang the whole way home in the car.

Credit to the set and costume designers, whose creativity takes us back to a magical age of glamour and glitz. The orchestra was also impeccable. 

It’s impossible to write a review of this show without giving high praise to Carly Mercedes Dyer in her role as the ever randy Erma. She had the audience in stitches and the chemistry between her and  Denis Lawson was spectacular. 

This show is for musical lovers, it has a star studded cast who deserve all of the praise they receive. It’s a super fun way to spend the evening and it had the entire audience on its feet, cheering during the finale.

Anything Goes is on at Manchester’s Palace Theatre until Saturday 18th June tickets available here.