The set design and associated props for the Battersea,
London scenes were well thought out from the perfect choice of china tea sets
and kitchen layouts to the positioning of the various house entrances Mrs
Harris cleaned at. Even the inclusion of dirt-marked hung washing with
silhouettes of the London skylines across the back of the stage subtly added to
creating context for the London location.
Unfortunately, the same consideration for the Paris scene was distinctly
lacking and virtually relied on the cast speaking in French and the mention of
Dior to indicate that Mrs Harris was actually in Paris. Even the washing with
the London skyline on it remained throughout the Paris part of the
performance.
The creative team used effective and smooth changes of music
and lighting to reflect the mood of the different scenes, working seamlessly
together. Sara Perks' costume designs were well-researched and perfect choices
for each character and scene. The only minor observation was that, despite
still looking stunning with every audience member wanting that same dress, the
main red Dior dress appeared to not perfectly fit the actress Charlotte
Kennedy.
The highlight of the musical was without a doubt the
humorous and relatable relationship between Ada and her best friend Violet.
Both Jenna Russell and Annie Wensak were incredible. Through their faultless
acting, singing and humour they brought their characters to life. Director Michael Fentiman managed their physical interaction so well that when the two characters
hugged, the audience felt a desire to smile, shed the odd tear and join in the
hug too. The decision to have Ada’s husband appearing physically as if he was
alive was also a bold move but was the correct one as it brought home to the
audience Ada’s loneliness and the fact that she still felt his physical
presence and spoke to him as if he was still alive.
The supporting actors portrayed their characters well,
often morphing between multiple roles. Their singing and acting matched their
characters’ personalities and each actor rose to the challenge playing multiple
roles presented them. Each was given their moment to shine although some of
these characters' musical numbers went on longer than was necessary, were often
not memorable and didn’t add anything to the story making the whole musical
slightly too long. Of particular note was the performance of Kelly Price whose
acting, singing and diction were commendable and made the audience sit up and
take notice.
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