The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
A successful stage musical from 2005 (though not at the first attempts) on Broadway has been revived in a co-production between the Harlow Playhouse, ASH Productions Live and the Edinburgh fringe company Patch of Blue.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee gives a number of young performers a chance to step into both the metaphorical and physical spotlight as the back stories to the high-school contestants are revealed.
It's really quite a standard theatrical concept with the music and lyrics of William Finn fleshed out by Rachel Sheinkin's book. The score is tuneful enough and apposite to the different students and teachers we meet, though not particularly memorable. Alex Howarth is the director with the small on-stage band led by Len Freeman; the choreography and musical staging is by Kenn Oldfield.
The singing abilities of the cast are somewhat variable, with Niki Evans as Miss Peretti sounding the best. Her fellow adjudicator for the spelling contest is Douglas Panch; Darren Day obviously enjoys playing this irascible college vice-principal.
As the audience comes into the theatre, the various students mingle and select a handful to be incorporated in the stage action – you have been warned! It may be because of this gimmick or just the entire production feel of a bunch of students letting their collective hair down, but I found it hard to engage with any of the characters.
Tom Mackley is the arrogant swot William Barfee and Ellie Mason makes backwoods Olive into someone with whom one can sympathise. Ross Cobbold plays the maverick Leaf while Rhys Owen takes on the ASBO-ed delinquent doing community service with a grudging attitude.
A new touring company for smaller scale venues is always a welcome addition to the regional theatre scene; one which can stage a full-blown musical is indeed something of a rarity. It just seems a pity that this forward-looking venture didn't chose a more interesting vehicle for its launch.
