The musical, 'Spend, Spend, Spend' is one of those that was a hit when first produced in the late 1990s, but then as quickly as it came, disappeared never to surface again; except for the odd performance here, there and around. It is certainly the first time that this reviewer, now in his mid fifties, has seen a production of it! It is a musical by Steve Brown which tells the true story of Viv Nicholson, a Yorkshire housewife who won £152,319 - the jackpot - on the Littlewoods football pools in 1961.
The theatre was given the composite set of 'The Miners' Arms'; the local boozer, with the band on view as if a live event at the pub. All the scenes which were not set in this pub (and there were many) were played out on a dance floor centre stage with the addition of two large black boxes on wheels. This had the effect of making the directing, and therefore the action, somewhat contrived and 'obvious'.
After watching the show, I completely understand why it was sidelined and left to obscurity. The music is derivative and instantly forgettable, and the characters are mostly mono-dimensional. Credit must be given to director Michael Peavoy for creating characters with as much depth and understanding as he did. It is also an odd show inasmuch as it starts at the end of Viv's story, and then her life is shown as a series of flashbacks / vignettes with her played by another younger actress. Not knowing the show, I do not know whether the idea to use three actresses for this was scripted or a way of allowing more students the chance to perform a role; but either way, it both added and diminished from the musical in equal measure. First, we see the teenage Viv, and we see her and understand her, and see her naivety, her youthfulness, and want to watch her grow and develop, but just as we are wanting that to happen, she is taken over by another actress who brings different qualities to the role. (Maisie Greer and Lilly Bendy). This is further obfuscated in the second act when a third actress brings a much more world-weary and experienced tone to the role, as we see her downfalls and disappointments, as well as her huge sexual appetite.(Lois Fiddes). Interestingly though, all three actresses had qualities which were present in the stately, unflinching, and masterfully elderly portrayal of Viv, the narrator of her own story (Millie Amber Quine). I wrote only a few moments ago in a review of Winter Tales, that asking a student to act older and be truthful and believable is extremely difficult. Quine managed this with simple aplomb.
The choreography (Helena Ferreira) was simple but effective, whilst the music, under the direction of Greg Last, did leave something to be desired sadly. First of all, I think that they should have been in costume since they were on stage throughout and a part of the pub scene; and perhaps more importantly, they were not always in tune, and some of the tempos seemed to be taken too slowly. Sound levels were also a little problematic this evening too. A couple of mic issues giving feedback and crackling; but also, there were several times when the band were underscoring dialogue or accompanying a solo singer, and we were unable to fully hear and understand the performers since the band was too loud.
It is a fully ensemble show, and these third year musical theatre students from Arden theatre School worked their socks off to make it work as well as it did. It was a hard ask though, especially when this class comprises 19 females and only one male; and so many of the male roles in this show were played by actresses, and this also made it more difficult to relate to and sympathise with. An interesting musical, but perhaps not the best choice for this particular group of students, all of whom are obviously multi-talented and perhaps deserved a better (more modern and more relevant) piece of musical theatre in which to shine.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 30.11.23
on - 30.11.23
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