This is high energy, pop-laden musical theatre at its finest; and a reward for both children and adults. “Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World – The Musical”, adapted from the non-fiction book by Kate Pankhurst, features an all-female cast, crew and band. Presented by Kenny Wax Family Entertainment, this performance was at the Lowry, Salford.
he framing story is that 11-year-old Jade (very sweetly played by Georgia Grant-Anderson) has got lost from her class on a school trip to the museum. She finds her way into a mysterious wing that is closed to the public, and once inside, meets various great women from history who are wandering around for no apparent reason. Chris Bush’s script gives Jade a psychological journey as she blossoms from the forgotten little mouse that is the helpmeet to everybody else in her world, to a proto young woman who will one day take on the world with her greatness. The final message of the show is to encourage all the members of the audience, young and not-so-young, to dazzle the world with their own greatness too.
The ensemble cast was introduced as a fearsome foursome of school teachers in blackboard dresses decorated with white chalked figures – Joanna Scotcher’s costumes were incredible. After they’d lost Jade, they played multiple historical characters between them, and regularly performed together in the ultimate of cool pop / rap / R&B / and everything in between singing groups: – Jane Austen even showed off some classical singing training.
Jennifer Caldwell was the unofficial leader as Northern-accented Emmeline Pankhurst, in a military-style purple-sequinned uniform (it’s musical theatre, not a documentary), and her performance was the ultimate in understated toughness. She doubled as French spy Agent Fifi.
Leah Vasell has missed her calling as a bone-chilling teacher in real life. (“It’s not my time I’m wasting, it’s yours” was delivered to this reviewer with full impact.) However, she was delightfully charismatic as Amelia Earhart, Mary Seacole and Rosa Parks. Chloe Hart sparkled with charming innocence as Channel swimmer Gertude Ederle, Jane Austen and fossil hunter Mary Anning. Elena Breschi gave graceful intensity to Sacagawea, Frida Kahlo and Marie Curie. And there was a special guest performance of Anne Frank, delivered by a delicately sincere Millie Kiss.
Special mention has to be made of the band. They were in full view, sitting in yellow neon-lit squares above Scotcher’s set of jumbled wooden museum crates and boldly colourful costumes. Audra Cramer was on keyboard, Isis Dunthorne was on drums, and Nicola T. Chang was on second keyboard and percussion. Never mind the musical: they could have run the whole thing effortlessly as a concert performance, and their enthusiasm and dynamism was a beacon to little musicians everywhere.
Chris Bush’s lyrics did get lost at times, as she tried to jam in as much historical information as possible in a short amount of time, and the clarity of the diction got a little interfered with by the microphones. Miranda Cooper and Jennifer Decilveo’s score was fabulous though, and worthy of a cast album release. Dannielle Lecointe’s choreography was simple but effective, and kept the funky tone going. Zoe Spurr’s lighting design dipped and flashed. Director Amy Hodge blended comedy with energy, imposter syndrome with ambition; and the audience gave a standing ovation at the end.
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