Bugsy Malone by Comrie Youth Theatre

Feb 5 2010 Strathearn Herald

AN OVERFLOWING and enthusiastic audience gathered in the White church, Comrie on Friday night to enjoy the Comrie Youth Theatre production of Bugsy Malone.

The original date for this production having had to be postponed through the illness of one of the lead members of the cast, so the opportunity to rearrange the performance was an evening not to be missed both for the performers and their eager supporters.

The stage version of Bugsy Malone is adapted from Alan Parker’s film, with songs by Paul Williams, where the 1930’s Chicago gangsters and their molls are re-enacted by teenagers. The rival mobsters settling their differences with custard shooting ‘splurge’ guns or in this production ‘silly string’ and shaving foam! Messy but fun.

Staging this production was a great opportunity to engage a large number of the members in the group in one production. However musicals by their genre, are more testing for the performers so congratulations to the youth of Comrie who rose to the challenge with great zest.

From the opening scene the audience were spirited into the Prohibition Era with the speak-easy setting, the drawl of the American mid west accents, the period costumes of the 1930s and the music. With much coming and going on the stage between the rival gangs, the story line revolves around Fat Sam and his moll Tallulah and his dispute with Dandy Dan and his gang with Bugsy torn between supporting Fat Sam and his fame seeking girlfriend Blousey Brown.

The choral numbers were sung in great unison with plenty of well worked choreography in the supporting routines, the soloists worked hard on their songs and commanded the attention of the audience, all capturing the atmosphere of the piece.

The various ‘massacres’ were acted out with great relish, the wonderful ‘splurge’ guns working overtime on their intended victims who were then dragged unceremoniously off the stage. The props department obviously had fun sourcing the guns and all the other effects which helped to create the setting of the period, the off stage telephone booth worked well with the audience seeing and hearing both sides of the conversations.

Whilst acknowledging the work rate of all the cast perhaps special mention must be made of those lead actors who were barely off the stage and kept the pace of the show moving throughout - Cole Luke (Bugsy Malone), Duncan MacCallum (Fat Sam) ably supported by Matthew Logan (Dandy Dan) for the mobsters whilst for the molls: Ashlyn Bourell gave a very assured performance as Tallulah, her confidence in ‘handling’ the audience in her song “My name is Tallulah’ deserved the rapturous applause it received. Alison Peters looked comfortable as Blousey Brown and Ellie Goddard , desperately seeking that all important audition as Fizzy took the opportunity when it arose. Mandi Gavin in her cameo role as Leroy, the gangster who Bugsy takes to see Cagey Joe to determine whether he’s got IT, the knock out punch, showed all the movement and grace of a stylish prize fighter as the boxer moved around the ring in a cleverly worked sequence.

Musical accompaniment was performed by Dave Griffith's, who apparently from the programme notes, had stepped in at the last moment, so no doubt an unnamed pianist had rehearsed with the cast throughout the rehearsals, which brings me to the director who had obviously worked hard with the young actors on their characters, story lines, choreography and fight sequences but wished to remain anonymous - no name in the programme - however at the presentation of the bouquets after the final curtain all was revealed and Jemma Petrie is to be congratulated.

Mike Boxer