The Sound of Music, Pitlochry Festival Theatre Review
Kirsty Findlay as Maria Rainer in The Sound of Music. Photo by Fraser Band.
Written by Kathryn for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Scotland’s hills are alive with the sound of music as Pitlochry Festival Theatre brings the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic to their winter season. The production is directed by Elizabeth Newman, her final production at Pitlochry before she takes up the Artistic Director role at Sheffield Theatres.
The Sound of Music is a beloved musical for many and it’s always great to see a fresh take on the well-known story and characters. The cast is led by Kirsty Findlay (read our interview with her here), who brings such a charm to the role of Maria. Her uplifting Scottish accent makes every line sound musical and feels so natural and fitting for the young free-spirited nun who loves to sing. Vocally Kirsty’s voice is enchanting and soars through Rodgers’ iconic score.
Ali Watt is a stern but soft Captain von Trapp and opera singer Kate Milner Evans shines as Mother Abbess, rounding off act 1 with a spine tingling rendition of Climb Ev’ry Mountain. Sally Cheng features as Liesl von Trapp with the younger von Trapp children roles shared between Benjamin Barenco, Isla MacGregor, Ross Martin, Ailsa Marx, Lily McSherry, Joseph Miranda, Theo Miranda, Millie Nicolson, Tanvi Reddy, Leva Stewart, Martha Swain, and Callie Wilson.
The children were excellent throughout, pulling audiences in with their confidence and charm. Many times the audiences laughed out loud at the children’s performances. They were all very professional, including at a moment when an audience member shouted a comment towards the stage.
Christian Edwards as Max Detweiler and the von Trapp children in The Sound of Music. Photo by Fraser Band.
One of the things I love about the Pitlochry productions I’ve seen is the involvement of the cast in, not only portraying multiple characters but also being the musicians. I never imagined I’d see a rendition of Maria (as in how do we solve a problem like Maria and not the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard Maria) where each nun is playing a different instrument while also singing. It’s really fantastic how they can bring life to certain scenes, just by having the instruments involved in the action rather than around the sides or in a pit. I particularly enjoyed the Entr’acte where we had Max (played fantastically by Christian Edwards) playing the piano, Baroness Schraeder (Hannah Baker) on the horn, and Captain von Trapp on the drums! As the piece ended, they all got up to continue with the show.
Pitlochry itself is a very fitting location for The Sound of Music. Surrounded by rolling hills and stunning scenery, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to picture ourselves in the Austrian Alps. At its heart, The Sound of Music is about hope, family and the joy of having music in our lives, but it also brings much darker political themes and the choice of whether to stand for or against, evil. The show’s messages are as strong now as they were back in a post-war world, but if all you need this winter is a production that will bring nostalgia, uplift your spirits and make you want to dance around on the summit of an Austrian mountain (just me?) then this production is for you.
The Sound of Music plays at Pitlochry Festival Theatre on select days until 22 December 2024.
★★★★
