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Jane Horrocks as Annie in
Annie Get Your Gun |
Taking a shot at Annie’s not easy
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN
Young Vic
AS I went into the Young Vic, the question on my mind was: is it possible to do justice to a big, big show like Annie Get Your Gun in such a small, small theatre?
There could be no spectacular dance numbers and none of Irving Berlin’s wonderful score as there was no orchestra. Just some very nice pianos in front of an alarmingly narrow stage.
The production is set in the 1950s to avoid expensive historic costuming, I presume, and uses two sets – a hotel interior bisected by an irritating and unnecessary swing door, and littered with milk-bar chrome and vinyl chairs, which later double as a train interior for the second set with toy boats and telegraph poles being manually lifted on and off a conveyor belt to imply a passing landscape.
As Annie, Jane Horrocks wins us with her waif-like appearance and of course her vocals are right on target, as is her accent.
And she gave us an excellent Doin’ What Comes Natur’ly But she is a tad too old to credibly be lusted after by the handsome young Julian Ovenden, who’s quite a hunk (and this flat-chested Annie definitely should not sing that she “can fill a sweater” better than this Frank Butler!).
Ovenden brought a good rich tenor to a role actually intended for a baritone, and he is a fine actor too. But backed by just pianos, the vocals could not even suggest the richness of Irving Berlin’s score.
John Marquez as fast-talking Charlie is really terrific. But Niall Ashdown as Chief Sitting Bull, a white guy in a Red Indian wig, is an embarrassment and the ensemble of young women hanging around the stage, in frightful costumes and worse wigs, seemed completely disengaged and uninterested in the proceedings.
So can Annie be done on a small stage? Not in a very satisfying way, but I cheerfully joined with the packed audience in applauding a cast that did a great job, despite having to perform on a large window-sill without bumping into the furniture.
Until January 2010
0844 209 1805
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