This Is The Moment
Next Stage Community Theatre Company
Grimsby Auditorium
16 July 2022
There is always something refreshing about the hope generated when you watch one of Grimsby's dedicated youth theatre companies, of which I have seen many over the years and been directly involved with a few. This was Next Stage Community Theatre's first show at Grimsby Auditorium and it played to a delighted audience.
The show opened with the classic There's No Business Like Show Business, the ensemble sang and danced their way through a myriad of show tunes sprinkled with pop hits. Katy Perry's Roar and Reel2Reel's I Like To Move It stood out for their energy and the cast's enthusiasm. It was a joy seeing children as young as 3 or 4 bouncing and skipping across the stage with pure unadulterated joy.
The older members treated the audience to hits such as Dream Girls' One Night Only. The staging was simple, set on two levels with basic wash lighting, that could have been brighter because from the rear it was difficult to pick out the smaller individuals who were given solos in large group numbers.
Other songs from the likes of the song Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, Under The Sea from The Little Mermaid and the perennial favourite The Candy Man Can, allowed many of the younger cast to find their feet and their confidence on stage. A wonderfully appropriate When I Grow Up from Tim Minchin's Matilda gave several girls the chance to showcase their voices backed by the ensemble. We also heard songs from Encanto and Shrek. The first half ended with an enthusiastic rendition of Hit Me With Your Best Shot.
The stand out song in the first half though was Come What May, a duet from Moulin Rouge. The song began with a backing track but it became clear that the backing track was not playing correctly and a decision was rapidly taken to sing it acapella and it brought the house down as voices blended gloriously to soar to the heavens. It made the hairs on the back of the neck stand up and sounded wonderful.
The second half of the show tended to belong to the company's older members. They demonstrated excellent performance skills as they delivered Ex-Wives from Six with real attitude telling the individual stories of Henry VIII's six wives. The girls gave mature performances and sang and moved really well to the song.
The other song from Six which I really enjoyed was the moving performance of Heart of Stone. The musical is definitely a modern day classic and the songs are deeply popular.
Further songs included Hammer To Fall from We Will Rock You which the cast really seemed to enjoy performing and from Everybody's Talking About Jamie - And You Don't Even Know It. We also heard Everything Is Awesome from The Lego Movie.
A wonderful solo performance of This Is The Moment from Jekyll and Hyde showed the young people how to really sell a song on a big stage before a reprise of There's No Business Like Show Business brought the curtain down on the show temporarily before returning with an encore featuring Nutbush City Limits and Proud Mary.
So much is made of the directionless youth in this town, but groups like Next Stage help young people to develop their self-confidence and to socialise in a safe environment, the fact that they also develop their performance skills is almost secondary to the service such groups provide. The company prides itself on its family attitude and long may it continue to help youngsters to develop in these ways.
The ensemble featured the following performers:
Seniors Keira Bingham
Seniors Ebony Bouch
Seniors Daisy Cook
Seniors Poppy Cook
Seniors Josh Dennis
Seniors Tia Hagan
Seniors Hannah Hennigan
Seniors Charlie Holmes
Seniors Rhyanna Lefter
Seniors Isabelle Moore
Seniors Kimberley Wood
Seniors Lauren Carratt
Seniors Lexie Wardle
Seniors Gemma Wardle
Seniors Emily Wood
Seniors Angela Tisseman
Seniors Assisi Cook-Collins
Inters Jake Allan
Inters Stephanie Daly
Inters Imogen Fullager
Inters Ellimai Greaves
Inters Grace Johnson
Inters Darcie Rice-Carroll
Inters Georgia Robertson
Inters Poppy Welbourn
Inters Georgia Withers
Inters Ellie Gordon
Tots Madison Bannister
Tots Juliet Sargeant
Tots Millie Bromley
J1 Katie Green
J1 Niamh Hollington
J1 Gabriella Maddock
J1 Rosie Carratt
J1 Poppy Clark
J1 Toby Simpson
J1 Rosalee Wingate
J1 Emily Clarke
J1 Ruby Howard
J2 Ruby Allan
J2 Leila Carroll
J2 Lleyton Clarke
J2 Ella Green
J2 Millie Hollingsworth
J2 Alexis Hunter
J2 Noah Knight
J2 James Maddock
J2 Mya Rhodes
J2 Saiyuri Smith
J2 Theodora Lefter
J2 Lexi Watson
J2 Lara Wright
J2 Mya Coope
J2 Roisin McGregor
J2 Greja Joksyte
Comments