STUDENT THEATRE REVIEW: Putting It Together - The Waterside Theatre, Manchester.

Just over one week after the passing of one of Musical Theatre's most famous and indeed most talented sons, Stephen Sondheim, I am able to watch 'Putting It Together' at The Manchester College / Arden Theatre School's own theatre, The Waterside. Strictly speaking this is not a Sondheim Musical, but a musical revue, conceived and put together by Julia Mckenzie - Broadway star of several years' standing, and renowned Sondheim interpreter - along with a little help from the maestro himself. It is a composite show, showcasing many of his songs from his early successes brought together by the flimsiest of plot.

I have always said - and so will continue to do so - that the calibre of Musical Theatre training at Arden is extremely high, and I am always impressed by the standard and quality of their shows. 'Putting It Together' was no exception. The cast all had to be, ideally, in their mid forties, and so for a cast so young, this was a huge ask in the first place, but they all rose magnificently to this challenge, and not for one moment did I ever believe them to be anything other than middle-aged.

We are at a party, given by a successful writer and his wife, in their lush, uptown NYC home, and we meet the various guests and learn more about them through their songs. The set is the first thing we see, as there is no curtain in this theatre. Dark wood panelling and deep red striped wallpaper is the order of the day, and it looks plush and retro fashionable. The myriad piles of books are a nice touch. Add to all of this a little haze, a band sounding pitch perfect, and we're all set for the cast....

I absolutely loved the start to this show. I knew it was coming, but it still took me by surprise. It starts with a song from 'The Frogs' and sets out a perfect list of dos and donts for all audiences everywhere...!

The show requires an element of sophistication, and this was present in the set, the costumes, and indeed in the performances. Considering the age of the students on stage this afternoon, they were polished, nuanced, and sleek. The only downside is that the show would have benefitted greatly from more mature voices. 

I liked this show very much, but the nature of this revue meant that there was precious little for the chorus to be involved in. Especially in the very sparce second act, when the whole ensemble only actually came together for the finale. I would have liked more chorus. The combined sound and harmonies were just wonderful.

Not being able to put names to unknown and even unnamed characters is almost nigh impossible, but for me there were three absolute highlights in this production. The first came towards the end of act 1, when one of the ladies sang "Could I leave You" (Follies). I really enjoyed her interpretation, and a lovely actress too. This was followed by a great picture ending for the act. The second moment worthy of a comment over and above, came when one of the young men sang, and performed as if his life depended on it, 'Buddie's Blues' (Follies).  A real showstopper! And finally, I should like to make special mention to the young lady in a white dress who sang the narrating part in 'Not Getting Married Today' (Company), whilst stood in the doorway at the rear. The whole song, to be fair, was a real crowd-pleaser and was excellently performed, but this young actress's voice was just beautiful!

Choreographed by Evan Garrett, and directed by Kirk Jameson, this was a lovely musical to make one's return to live theatre with. Catchy tunes, sensible and discreet direction, and a cast of 23 young adults finding their first tentative paths in a very precarious profession, but not putting a single foot wrong the whole afternoon. Hugely enjoyable, and excellently realised.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall

on - 3.12.21