The Fairytale of New York

Ambition Matched By Performance

Peter Steptoe

Theatre Workshop Coulsdon is always ambitious in what it attempts. On the face of it, a backstage musical depicting the 30’s replete with hit songs from that era does not suggest originality, but what was excellent was their standard of performance. The orchestra under their director Mark Taylor was unobtrusive but compelling musically and the singing commendable. Under the vocal direction of Tanya Alizai we had amongst some great songs a memorable ‘All That Jazz’. Choreography and movement was by Emma Griffin and the latter is extremely important where actors are not trained dancers.

Richard Lloyd, the author and director, will not mind me saying that the plot was perhaps a little fanciful and impossible, but despite this kept me wondering and interested. The setting was the last Vaudeville theatre in Lower Manhattan, where the cast kept disappearing without trace. Macey Maguire (Indianna Scorziello) arrives penniless but becomes a sort of star detective in solving the mystery with a good voice and an excellent pair of legs. Hiram T Bagel was played by non-singing Chris Argles with dignity as the theatre proprietor and his dapper stage manager Talleyrand (Tim Young) had the gift of a throwaway line. Among memorable Vaudeville performers were Gypsy Rose Lee (Tanya Alizai), great voice, and Trixie (Kimberley Argles), Mixie (Lisa Lloyd) and Roxie (Lucy-Ann Martin) who seemed like refugees from Cinderella’s Ugly Sisters, except that they were good looking.

My only criticism is perhaps fewer in cast to give room for more character development; otherwise brilliant.

Peter Steptoe for The Croydon Advertiser