I’ve attended two musicals during the last week that were both joyous celebrations of everything that is good in theatre and society. Neither were professional productions, indeed they weren’t even Am/Drams, they were community projects.
The first was Titanic the Musical, by the Ensemble Theatre at the Festival Theatre in Denton. It was a fully immersive. From the moment I entered the Hall and took my seat it was very apparent that the production was going to take place in front of me and around me. The cast was enormous and included all age groups and abilities. It was the definition of being fully inclusive.
I met the director, Janet Fagan, a few weeks earlier and she is amazing. I could see the special person she is as she explained how the show would work and introduced me to a couple of the cast. Ensemble Theatre Inclusive Arts group aims to bring people together and create more community cohesion through the use of expressive arts, dance, community theatre and inclusive arts.
You’d never doubt the motivation of Janet if you watched her during the performance of Titanic I attended. I noticed her comfort an anxious young girl, who was one of the cast, while the show was unfolding and she was a constant smiling, supportive force throughout, even though she was very much a background performer herself.
Tameside Reporter’s Nigel Slater, as the captain of the Titanic, was an experienced guide throughout the show, keeping the audience fully involved but it was a young lady called Rose, her real name not the part played by Kate Winslet in the film, who was the force of nature that shone for me. She is the sort of person that lights up every room she enters and her smile is infectious.
Overall, though, it would be wrong for me to not congratulate everyone, even those who were not acting, because this was a true community project. Those who sold the hotdogs and ice-cream at half time serve just as much praise. This was truly theatre at it’s very best.
On Saturday afternoon I went along to Hyde Festival Hall to see Shrek Jr the Musical as performed by Tameside Youth Drama Group. I’d been to a rehearsal of their version of Shrek Jr and was impressed by the duet by the two young performers who played Shrek and Fiona. At the show itself they didn’t disappoint and along with the young lady who played Donkey, they were the stars of the show.
The venue was packed full of enthusiastic families who loved the show. Although this was a youth cast, there was lots of talent on show, but just like Titanic, this wasn’t just about watching aspiring performers, who might be dreaming about being stars in the West End one day, this was about giving youngsters a sense of purpose, confidence and self-esteem which will benefit them in their lives, wherever that takes them.
The overwhelming feeling I had, as I left both shows, was a feeling of community, happiness and pride from the performers, the audience and all the volunteers behind the scenes. I see many things that make me anxious about society on a daily basis but watching Ensemble Theatre and Tameside Youth Group lifted my spirits and filled my soul with optimism. Long may they continue!
This week on Break-a-Leg, my weekly Musical Theatre Show on Tameside Radio from 7pm every Sunday my guests include Pete Waterman, one third of Stock Aitken Waterman who have a new Musical based on their songs opening in Manchester in November and Mark Hilton, the local lad who’s now a big shot in the West End – don’t miss it!
