Renaissance Theatre Company, Phoenix Venue, Hastings 12 April 2012

With Sweeney Todd sold out in the West End it is surprising that we do not see more Sondheim in our local theatres. Perhaps the sheer complexity of his writing is beyond many smaller companies, but this was certainly not true of Renaissance who grasped the nettle with aplomb and came up smiling.

Nobody was credited with the design but this proved to be a key feature. In a venue with a flat auditorium, sight lines can be problematic, yet the multileveled set and subtle lighting enabled the majority of the action to be seen by all.

The large ensemble cast created credible characters within the overt fairytale environment which Sondheim stands on its head. While there were many children in the audience, the work has a serious purpose lurking behind the infectious humour of the lyrics, and we are regularly required to reflect on the impact of what we are hearing. Precise, though thankfully not over-loud, amplification enabled the text to be heard at all times and the complexities of the narrative to be easily followed. Mark Evans’ direction concentrated on maintaining a clear narrative line throughout, letting the humour run for itself but positioning soloists with intelligence both in terms of character and social status.

It almost seems unfair to mention individuals when the performance was so obviously an ensemble creation, but Imogen Willetts’ Rapunzel  was a masterly demonstration of a character who does not know when to stop. Her lyrical soprano was a joy from the beginning but her screams became increasingly annoying – just as Sondheim intended. I understand that Cathy Brown stepped in as Cinderella at a late stage though this was in no way obvious from the confidence of her anxious princess. Tuula Ward has an instinct for comedy which made her over-ripe Red Riding Hood a delight. Ryan Harman seemed a natural as Jack and the two princes were neatly differentiated.

If the level of vocal production was uneven this is to be expected even in the best of companies and the focus on communicating the text meant that we were always at one with the character singing.

Quite how Roger Wilcock kept everything together with the band positioned deep behind the set was presumably a mixture of high professionalism and good luck. The singers could not see him (there was no tv monitoring available) and he had no way of communicating with them in return. That there were no problems and the musical line was never interrupted was a tribute to all and a reflection of intense rehearsal to the point where all involved have trust in each other to simply be there. A splendid evening, and an appreciative and full audience.

Here’s to the next production.

BH