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Youth Theatre Reviews |
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VisionWritten by Jonathon Smith and Dominic Hartley It is difficult to review youth theatre in an objective, 'critical' way - any young person who is actively contributing in such a positive way can only be commended. Yet, as this was a pre-Edinburgh performance, St Ives Youth Theatre's latest show needed to be seen and judged as though it was a professional piece. No kid gloves here then. Vision is a strange and obscure choice it has to be noted. A musical by Jonathon Smith and Dominic Hartley based on the story of Bernadette of Lourdes, this is not your bog standard youth theatre production of Bugsy Malone. I was unsure throughout whether the concept works fully as a musical - I flipped between thinking 'this is the modern day Evita' to 'one song too many.' The show certainly has a Lloyd Webber feel to it, with its big chorus numbers and strong ballads. Whether this interesting story quite makes it as a musical, I have yet to decide. What is not in question is the wealth of talent in this very strong youth theatre. Under the artistic directorship of Jonathon Salt, St Ives Youth Theatre (SIYT) has recently received national coverage for fighting in the street to promote their production of Romeo and Juliet. The young cast managed to fool passers-by by into calling the police with their well-timed stage fighting. There is no doubt that the youth theatre can convince with their performance - such is the absolute commitment from all involved. With forty cast members from a wealth of backgrounds and experiences (from National Youth Theatre to newcomers), each performer gives their all. The young people, aged 12-18, completely buy into the Lourdes story and this is, at times, infectious and inspiring. An immense chorus support the leads, belting out drinking songs which draw you in as the French bar is brought to life. Again, I wasn't convinced by the mixture of musical styles in the writing, but a strong band supports the performers and provides moments of real harmonious quality. The duets in particular really work well. It is difficult to pick out individuals for praise, such is the energy and enthusiasm of this ensemble. Yet Bethan Morris creates a vulnerable and believable Bernadette in a subtle performance of a difficult role. Charlie Marsh's Peyramale is stern and well acted and Siobhan Lloyd almost steals the show with an excellent all-round performance as the barmaid. These mentions though, should not take anything away from the committed and talented company. If you wish to fill your Edinburgh timetable up then this show is definitely worth making it into your list of things to see. A talented youth theatre brings this lesser known musical to life and their performance will not leave you disappointed - no matter how critical you try to be. "Vision" plays at Sweet ECA (Venue 186) at the Edinburgh Fringe from August 8th to August 15th at 2:30pm
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