4 STARS
Anything Goes. Everything Goes. You want to burst into song and pretend to be a tweeting bird- go for it. You want to don disguises to get out of jail- sure. You want to pretend to be a world-class criminal in order to be treated like a celebrity- do it! Because, here in the Nottingham Arts Theatre, all is fair in love and war, meaning that anything and everything truly goes!
A plot deeply steeped in satire, comedy and love, this was truly a performance that invited everyone to take part and feel involved in its shiny, controlled, musical whirlwind of a story. From a tale of confused love to mistaken identities, gangster impulses to beautiful, spine-tingling musical interludes, each and every one of the 24 cast members ought to be extremely proud of the level of dedication and professionalism showcased.
Anything Goes is a play that was open and accessible to all, inviting each and every one of its audience members to fully drink in the acting, tap their feet along to the energetic musical pieces and generally have a whale of a time just like the actors on stage; the energy was high, the lights low, emotions tangibly dancing off the stage and right into the audience.
I was truly on the edge of my seat- from either laughing uncontrollably at the sheer comical talent, or from being moved entirely by the musical talent that vibrated the theatre. I can now see why ‘Blow, Gabriel, Blow’ was a cast favourite to perform- highly energetic and exciting, the cast captivated us entirely and I could only marvel at how polished and entertaining the song was from start to finish! I also thoroughly enjoyed the sheer unity and confident intricacy of such a song, I truly wished to jump up and join the cast on stage!
Everyone was absolutely flawless and I commend them all. There was one actor in particular whom I fell in love with and this was Laurence Cuthbert (Moonface Martin). He had me literally gasping for breath with his elastic limbs and enthusiastic expressions. His hyperbolic style was both endearing and hilarious, instantly putting a smile on my face each time he was on stage. Needless to say, Anything Goes is a show saturated with comedy to the extent that any notion becomes a possibility and the stage was transformed into a menagerie of magical delight. Amy Foden (Reno Sweeney) stole the stage and her solo songs left a trail of goose bumps down my arms- her singing was beautiful and the audience as a collective mass were all stunned into an awed and appreciative silence every time she began to sing. Yes, Billy Crocker boarded the ship to find ‘Mrs Fantastic’ but fantastic is exactly the term I’d use to describe everyone on stage, their superb dedication to their characters was beyond amazing.
I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and left in absolute awe of the rich and controlled talent which burst forth on stage. I truly felt as though I was brimming to the surface with champagne bubbles as I left the theatre in a star struck giggly high. It was hard to believe that these were students, incredibly talented and polished ones indeed and I felt as though I had been swept out of Nottingham and straight into Broadway! Something for everyone, and an entirely feel good show- a must see.
‘Give me a reason to live?!’‘Banana mash with a side of strawberry drizzle!’
Get yourself down to George Street, cut yourself some slack, grab some banana and strawberry ice cream and indulge in a twirling and fizzing evening of musical brilliance!
For more information and how to buy tickets: http://www.nottingham-theatre.co.uk/whats-on.html
Image Sources:
https://eastmidlandstheatre.com/2016/02/10/review-anything-goes-musicali…
Source: