One of the most popular shows of the past 50 years will be entertaining audiences at the Opera House in Manchester for the next two weeks.
Set in 1930s’ New York, the smash-hit production of Annie tells the story of a young orphan who has the opportunity of a lifetime to spend Christmas with billionaire Oliver Warbucks - contrasting to the life of misery she’s known at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage.
The sensational Craig Revel-Horwood, from BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, leads the cast as the infamous Miss Hannigan - staggering about the stage with gin in hand.
He savoured every inch of the character - proving to be a sheer force of nature as he presented us with effortless humour and infectious energy throughout the duration of the show.
Alex Bourne exuded pure warmth in his role as Daddy Warbucks alongside Amelia Adams, who gave a flawless performance as Grace with delightful comedic timing which had the audience in stitches.
Lukin Simmonds and Billie-Kay were also gloriously vulgar as the criminal double act Rooster and Lily, their stage presence, charm and charisma as a pair was vivacious.
Each and every child was simply superb, with particularly standout performances from Lola Green and Karin Narumi.
Star of the show, of course was Annie - who was played exceptionally well by the very talented Sharangi Gnanavarathan.
Sharangi perfectly embodied the contradictory mixture that is Annie; vulnerable, fiery, lonely and strong all at once.
With her canine companion Sandy, portrayed by gorgeous Labradoodle Amber, the two won the hearts of the audience immediately.
It was no surprise to anyone when the cast received a standing ovation as the show came to a close.
As a whole, the musical was hugely enjoyable, fun and heart-warming - with incredible set design and immaculate dance numbers.
Annie runs until September 30.
