Concert Review Theatre Student production Songs For A New World The Longmore Theatre Arden Theatre School @ Manchester College

 

This contemporary "song cycle" style chamber musical from the pen of Jason Robert Brown, has been skilfully and cleverly slightly reworked by director Julia Maden to accommodate her group of 8 female songstresses who make up the 3rd year Vocal Studies class at Arden Theatre School in Manchester. Originally written for a multi-ethnic mixed gender cast of four who multi-role throughout, with the accents distinctly set the other side of the pond, this version of, 'Songs For A New World', brings us to the Manchester in the present day, amongst other places of course.

The premise of the musical is that the basic setting is a disused and abandoned maternity ward, but in reality, the set changes with every song which takes us from on board a Spanish galleon sailing to discover the New World in 1492, to a prison,  to goodness knows where else. Again there is some multi-rolling in evidence, but it helps to have doubled the cast in order to keep some semblance of through-line and character. It can be very abstract otherwise. The show is not a musical in the conventional sense, and these songs, highly contemporary in feel, are a springboard for the characters' individual emotions which converge and diverge throughout, but all come together in the end. 

The staging was interesting. We were presented with a large band at the rear of the stage with windows and wall behind, whilst the forestage was the acting area, bedecked for most of the show with three beds, which actually could have been used a little bit more imaginatively perhaps than they were, but overall the concept worked. The lighting was mostly good throughout, although I did notice a couple of times where the singer/s were in shadow and their faces unlit. Costuming was appropriate. Sound levels were rather poor unfortunately. Mostly the band was too loud, and needed to be turned down a few decibels for maximum aural enjoyment, and maximum understanding of the lyrics. Sadly it felt at times as if the cast were fighting to be heard above the music and that should never have (appeared to have) been the case. Especially in the first few songs there was a very heavy booming and resonant drum beat which permeated throughout the auditorium annoying taking us away from what we should have been concentrating. It must be written that the music, directed by Joe Tanner, was excellent throughout, it was just overpowering and pulling focus at unwanted times. 

And now to the fully ensemble cast of eight talented singer / actresses. It would be very difficult to single any of them out since they all tackled this tricky score with aplomb, managing to bring the plaintive ballad to life as well as the really raunchy up-tempo gospel-esque rock songs. The singers' diction was excellent throughout, and their singing secure and melodious. Clear, clean. and crisp lines and enunciation combined with mellifluous, engaging contemporary voices made for a superb 70 minutes in their company.

Congratulations to Elektra Chronaki, Leah Dandy, Ellie Entwistle, Ishika Kumar, Hollie McCarthy, Phoebe Nordone, Naomi Samuel, and Liv Saunt.

Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu

On - 29.1.26