REVIEW | The Sound Of Music, Barrow Arts Theatre Society
Written by Hollie
Disclaimer: gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Caution: This show includes pyrotechnics to emulate lightning striking.
Barrow Arts Theatre Society brings this fantastic adaptation of Rogers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music to the Mountsorrel Memorial Center this week. The sold-out show with an audience of children, adults and families, even had some enthusiastic audience members dressed up as some of the classic characters from the musical!
As the audience enters the auditorium and takes their seats, the church bells are ringing and the anticipation begins for a night of sing-along songs and a humorous show! As The Sound of Music is many people’s favourite musical, it is hard not to sing along to classic songs including ‘Favourite Things' and ‘The Sound of Music’
The cast is led by Lucy Hardy, as unlikely nun Maria, who is studying in the Abbey in Salzburg with her fellow nuns. Maria is quite different compared to the others and thoroughly enjoys singing. Mother Abbess offers Maria a job as the Von Trapp Family governess for the next few months and Maria reluctantly accepts. Lucy Hardy captures the mannerisms and characteristics of Maria perfectly and she sings all of the classic songs beautifully. Jane Robinson, who plays Mother Abbess, also has a fantastic singing voice and sings some great songs later on in the production.
The children who play Captain Von Trapp’s seven children have been cast perfectly. They are all fantastic singers and the choreography between all of them was super. Rolf, played by Jackson Davinson and Liesl, played by Emma Hollas, act and sing together really well and their duet outside the house during the storm was stunning! In real life, it was pouring down when I arrived at the theatre and this production allowed me to be taken far away to the Austrian hills. It is a drop of golden sun on a rainy November evening!
All of the children are absolutely enchanting and they play their characters well. A special mention to Evelyn Crossley who plays the youngest of Captain Von Trapp’s children, Gretl. She acted out all of her lines and facial expressions well and made the audience laugh on several occasions!
The costumes designed by Julie Crossley, were spectacular and the children’s coordinated outfits were so well done.
As the story moves on in 1938, Austria is on the brink of war and more and more German influences are happening. Captain Von Trapp, a retired naval officer, is summoned to the German naval base but he is reluctant to go due to him not agreeing with what is happening in Germany. The family have been entered into a singing competition and they devise a plan to flee at the end of the competition to ensure that the family can stay together.
The whole cast plays the Von Trapp family authentically and some of my favourite scenes include the scene during the storm when the children are scared and the family singing on stage at the competition.
The Barrow Arts Theatre Society will continue to perform their production of The Sound of Music at the Mountsorrel Memorial Hall until Saturday 4th November 2024.
Barrows Arts Theatre Society puts on one musical a year and I am really looking forward to seeing what they do in 2024!
★ ★ ★ ★
