'Time To Shine' is the Dawson Academy of Dance and Stage / Curtain Up Theatre Productions showcase of their students' multifarious achievements and abilities. This year it was on for one night only at Bolton Town Hall's Albert Hall.
My overall comments for the showcase will come first before I mention individual acts. First of all the sound levels were too loud. There is a very worrying trend within the theatre-world at present which gives the sound engineers licence to turn the volume up to max on mostly everything. What this is doing to the audience's ears I have no idea, and I am forever finding that I need to wear earplugs at shows these days, and can still hear everything clearly and adequately when wearing them. In this regard, less is most definitely more. I have to admit that this was not the case in EVERY number this evening, but the tendency was certainly being given a fair airing!
Second I come to the lighting. I have always been the first to consider, congratulate and recommend the use of specials and creative lighting and combining it with either dry ice or 'smoke' (fog). The effects which can be created with these combinations obviously depend on the mood and narrative each individual item is hoping to convey. However, once again I would recommend the less is more maxim, since most of the dance numbers this evening used very similar effects and some of them, from a layman's perspective, seemed very similar and didn't necessarily fit the mood or style of the dance.
Costuming (including hair and make-up) was excellent and I loved all the various outfits etc. These really help both performer and audience member in immersing themselves in the correct time period / genre / style, and make the visuals all the more realistic and interesting. There was only one instance in the whole show where I feel I should make negative comment on the costuming. This was in the Oliver! sequence The ensemble girls wore what I would classify as 'character skirts'. Black flowing skirts with colourful bands around the lower reaches of the skirt. Generally these are used in class sessions and rehearsals, and are usually only seen on stage when playing the part of a Mid- or Easter European peasant in ballet and opera, as they resemble the traditional skirts worn by 18th and 19th century women of these regions and can still be seen today in parades and special events when they wear their national dress. They did not belong in Victorian London unfortunately.
Finally, the showcases are really quite long - that is expected and unavoidable... but the timing could be made a little shorter and the whole evening perhaps made just a little more 'professional' by dispensing with a compere / MC. I understand that he has compered the shows for several years now and is a friend of the school, but again, from a purely objective and dispassionate point of view, there really is little need for him to be there, since all the info we need is on the programme.
Now to the performers!
The nine items in the first half of the show started well with a long sequence from 'The Wiz'. This is the "all Black" reimagining of the classic Wizard of Oz story, and the film stared Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, and Nipsey Russel and was produced by Motown Records. It's a great musical for young people as there are lots of great character parts, high octane dancing, and plenty of opportunity for large choruses with Munchkins, Monkeys, Slaves, Citizens Of Oz etc etc.. The school's Production Class made easy work of this section with excellent choreography for the Munchkins, some lovely ensemble singing, and good solos and dialogue from the principals. There are three performers this evening who I should like to 'single out'. These three had that certain X factor that people talk about, meaning that their stage presence and their innate ability meant that once I had spotted them I could not take my eyes of them. It does not mean necessarily that they are any better than other dancers / performers technically, it just means that they took the title of this show quite literally and simply 'shone'! The first of these three was spotted straight away dancing as a Munchkin in these sequences, and I have been reliably informed that she was called Rebecca Fulop.
The following number was a complete change of mood, and one of the teaching staff came on singing the role of Cruella De Ville as the school's pre-primary, primary, junior and pre-seniors all came on stage in a short but cute 101 Dalmations sequence. But it was in this number that I found performer number 2 with that certain je-ne-sais-quoi! A slightly taller girl taking centre stage mostly had great tail-swagger, entertaining the whole audience, and her name was Orlaith Hurson.
Next came the first of two Street Dances - this one from the senior group, The two dances they performed were exciting and thrilling, but it was the lighting design here that was forever shining in the audience's eyes which was offputting.
Next came one of my personal favourites from the whole showcase. Six young ladies (Caitlin P, Erin P, Ella N, Isla K, Simi A, and Lily S) performed the title song from the hit musical, 'Six', and it was just as good, just as professional, with just as much pizzazz as the UK touring versions I have watched. Wow.. simply, wow!
Following this the seniors and pre-seniors were the 'Descendants'. Excellent choreography with good use of space, and some nice lifts and tumbles combined within the routine worked well. The lighting here was very effective and the lighting of the two "human" pillars either side of the organ at the rear was very effective, combining this with the use of lights on the costumes.
Next came a number which, for me, was the least enjoyable of the evening. This is simply because I did not understand it, nor could I find a way into it whilst watching it. Called 'Disturbia' it involved several older students dressed in quasi-morph suits as if skeletons perhaps, whilst one of their number wore a red cyborg-esque morph suit. The music was strange, the choreography even stranger, and sadly I was simply unable to relate to this number in any meaningful way, despite it being extremely well danced.
Cailtin Palmer (this year's graduate) came on next to sing a solo, Celine Dion's 'Think Twice'. Palmer certainly has the modern pop voice that is so bookable and desirable these days, carrying the song off with assured ability.
More tumbling and acrobatics followed this as the younger ones entertained with a 'Dark Circus'. Again good use of space and nice pictures helped the dancing recreate a modern but slightly scary circus.
The first act finished with a roaring '20s Charleston-influenced take on 'The Great Gatsby', F. Scott Fitzgerald's most famous novel, which is seeing many contemporary theatrical revivals recently from Northern Ballet's evocative version to self-penned musicals from school groups performing at Edinburgh Fringe! Here the choreography, attitude, and general mood of the whole sequence was upbeat, and the 21st century twists in the dancing made for a very watchable and clever routine. In between two such routines, soloist Lily Smethurst sang a more modern song (was it called 'Dream On'?) and the first act finished on a high. My third "X-factor" performer was also in these sequences (as well as many other dances this evening!). In this final sequence she headed the triangular phalanx of dancers, mostly on the front row with blonde hair. Again, I have been informed her name is Amelia Hibbert.
The second act started with a sequence from the evergreen musical, Oliver!, with a confident youngster singing 'Where Is Love?' quite plaintively. Dialogue and a bit of dancing led us into 'Consider Yourself' and 'Fine Life' with excellent soloists and good choreography. A nice idea to use the two older and taller boys to carry Oliver and Artful Dodger. The sequence finished with a full song and dance routine of 'Who Will Buy'.
Pre-primary, primary, and juniors were back next in ballgowns (and the tiniest dressed as frogs!.. ahhh!) for a 'Princes And The Frog' sequence.
The Street Dancers were back next, only this time it was the Junior group. The use of smaller groups was effective in this sequence.
The Student Choir was next.. only this was not a choir as we know it Jim.... this was a dancing-and-leaping-around-with-fantastic-moves-whilst-singing choir!. Their section, 'Bring It On', started with cheerleaders [LX far too busy and distracting] into a solo song 'One Perfect Moment', sung with skill by a confident and proficient Ella Nolan.
The singing and dancing continued with the pre-senior and senior choirs - again proving that the days of standing in long lines and wearing stuffy dresses is very passee, with their version of 'School Of Rock'. I did feel though in these sections that a little less movement would have worked much better, especially during 'If Only You Would Listen'. More dialogue and another song (with some more dancing) took us to 'Stick It To The Man', fully choreographed on full power, no punches pulled! The overall ensemble sound here was excellent.
Another solo song by one of this year's graduates. this time sung by Erin Palmer (could this be Caitlin's sister one wonders...). Here the song was 'Rise Up', another pop anthem sung by a talented young lady with the requisite pop voice. She was accompanied by six dancers performing a contemporary piece of ballet which worked nicely.
The tiny tots came on for their final time after this with teacher (Miss Vicky) making the most of their stage time (some of the youngest being on stage for the first time this evening) with a fun 'Shake It Off' sequence.
'Sky Full Of Stars' saw the pre-seniors wearing costumes with lights, hand-held lights, and with two of the boys performing some Japanese Taiko style drumming, this was an interesting and well-performed section.
The finale sequence came next - in two parts. First 'Sing Sing Sing' a tap and jazz extravaganza of razzmatazz which was excellently done with superb choreography, which segued straight into 'Shine', which saw the older groups do simply that..shine, as they all took their well-deserved bows.
If you have kept up with me and are still reading this, then you too dear reader, deserve a medal.. but the accolades should all go to the dancers and the teachers of this wonderful showcase. The talent on display was incredible, and the school gave us a varied, exciting, and wonderful evening of dance and theatre. Bravissimi!
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 3.4.23
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