Side by Side by Sondheim, Nohow Productions, Smithills Great Hall. Runs to Saturday. IF you think you don't like Sondheim, this is the show and the company to change your mind.
Side by Side by SondheimZprovides the sort of sophisticated material upon which Nohow thrive.
Last night's first performance in Bolton of this often-surprising, and frequently funny, entertainment found Nohow in good voice, and more importantly, in the confident mood necessary if 30 or so tunes, very varied in style and mood, were to be got through without stumbling.
If producer/director Nora Howcroft, musical director Robert Margolis and co-ordinator Win Dawson felt themselves under pressure, it did not show.
The two narrators, Ernest Dawson and Robin Thompson, were just the men for the job, their scripts cleverly adapted to suit a Bolton audience.
David Wilson, the talented musical associate, was the principal keyboard player and had the busiest night of all. He was joined occasionally by Margolis on another keyboard.
Indeed, versatility is a strength of this company. Margolis demonstrated this by performingZBuddy's BluesZwith a hint of Vaudeville, and later joining Chris Oldham as a spoof stripper in a much-appreciated and hilarious version ofZYou Gotta Get A Gimmick.
Judith Stamford displayed the most versatility - in excellent duet with Don Howcroft forZYou Must Meet My Wife; enunciating 60 words a minute inZGetting Married Today;Zbeing French inZAh Paris!,ZSpanish inZThe Boy From...Zand soulful inZSend in the Clowns.
Broadway BabyZandZI Never Do Anything TwiceZsuited Connie Rorrison's style to a T, and Marian Henrys'ZAnother Hundred PeopleZwas delivered with conviction.
Jan Ashton, one felt, matured as a performer in this show, particularly in duet with Brian Williams inZBarcelona,Zand on her own inZAnyone Can Whistle.
The Howcrofts - Don inZLosing My MindZand Nora inZI'm Still HereZ- showed what stylish troupers they are.
Eileen Riley, lacking a solo, played a part in some fine ensemble work.
But, above all, the star was Sondheim. You may be surprised, as I was, by his great storehouse of tunes and lyrics. DOREEN CROWTHER
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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