2008 has been one of our most successful years ever - and the press seem to agree!
Here's a selection of some published reviews we've received so far this year...
FRANKENSTEIN, COCHRANE THEATRE, MARCH 2008
"a great new musical"
"[the actors] consistently performed well throughout the evening, and the acting was complemented by the live costumes"
"the cast obviously enjoy themselves, and their exuberance is infectious"
"it's a great yarn... some beautiful lyrics"
"this show must continue to develop its potential by touring the country, and giving many more audiences the pleasure that London has enjoyed"
"a wonderful creation ... a monster hit!"
- Fiona Green, Camden New Journal
THE SILVER BOUGH, ABERDEEN INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FESTIVAL, AUGUST 2008
"Scottish folk tales were at the centre of Youth Music Theatre: UK's fantastical adaptation of F Marian McNeill's books.
All four seasons - Lughnasa, Samhain, Imbol and Beltane - were explored through a great combination of dance, song, music and acting. A cast of about 40 youngsters took to the theatre-in-the-round to portray a huge array of magical creatures, such as changelings, witches and kelpies, through astounding physical theatre. Bodies were torn apart, the landscape hounded by contorted bodies as the performers became ethereal dead, and graceful but violent seas. The choral work set against the theatre was powerful and haunting, creating a sense of beauty and unease fittingly representing the joy and pain each season brings. At once invigorating, unsettling, uplifting and spooky, the tireless dedication of these young performers cannot be understated."
- Gareth Alexander, Aberdeen Evening Express
MISSING MEL, GEORGE SQUARE THEATRE, EDINBUGH FESTIVAL FRINGE, AUGUST 2008
"Youth Music Theatre make a welcome return to George Square, where their last production was the brilliant Goblin Market in 2005. The large company really needs this big stage just to provide enough space for all the talented performers on view.
The musical takes place in a school on the first day of a new term. Everyone has arrived except for Mel and nobody knows what’s happened to her. Is it something to do with Cat, who is believed to be Mel’s arch enemy and was suspected of spiking Mel’s drink at a party two days earlier? This simple question is used as the basis of a serious exploration of many of the issues of school life – bullying, jealousy, fear of exams, relationships, gossip and backbiting.
The characters seem very real, and many of us will recognise similarities to those we knew at school. This is partly as a result of the excellent writing, but also because of the tremendous acting abilities of the performers. This is definitely a high-quality cast. The singing is also extremely good, with no obvious weaknesses, and the live musical accompaniment is excellent throughout. One thing that has to be particularly praised is the choreography. At any time there may be between thirty and forty performers on stage, often moving around in groups and singing at the same time, but clearly everyone knows exactly where they have to be at every moment and nobody looks out of place for a moment.
The performance ends with a song, ‘The Best Years Of Our Lives Start Now’. This is not only true for the characters in this production but also for the performers themselves, who definitely have a great deal to look forward to.
***** (Five stars)"
- Alan Chorley, BroadwayBaby
"It never fails to amaze me what can be done by a company when they set their mind to it and this is one such production.
Youth Music Theatre: UK have taken this brand new musical written by by Kath Burlinson and Conor Mitchell, and under the direction of Pete Gallagher molded nearly forty young actors together into what is an excellent production with just one weeks rehearsal time.
Mel is missing on the first day of the new school term, and as she is a diligent student unlike some of her classmates that most are kind of worried as to what might have happened to her. Cat, the artistic bohemian with something of a reputation, is accused of spiking her drink the night before which also lead to other tails of her alleged misdeeds which as the gossip spreads grows arms and legs.
Bullying, also has an integral part in the show as is the uncertainties of teen romance and school life as the storyline unfolds.
The performance I saw was technically a preview so I was prepared to take this into account with the review, but didn’t feel I needed to. For me the show looked like it had been ready for ages, the logistics of moving this number of teenagers around the stage alone was magnificent, choreography was good also and the cast leads had excellent singing voices.
If there was any criticism at all I could raise would be I didn’t feel captivated with any of the songs. I always like to leave a musical whistling one number, but unfortunately it was not the case with this.
**** (Four stars)"
- One4Review.com
"Powerful performances impress in this fly-on-the-school-wall musical about the effect of a teenager going missing on her fellow students. The cast of around forty were drawn from auditions involving a thousand young people from all corners of the UK, and have produced a quality show after ten days of intensive rehearsal.
The initial performance had preview status, but the cast came out singing with a force that nearly blew the audience away. There are a few big numbers in this show that have the potential to be memorable show tunes. The storyline covers a range of contemporary issues for young people at the top end of high school.
Jasmine Dey excels as Cat, the art student consumed with self doubt and estranged from fellow pupils. Ashley McIntosh is convincing as the self centred go-getter, Paula, ably supported by Lauren Osbourne as the shallow Jessica. Jamie Wilson as Mel's ex and Roly Harrad as Adam are also very good, with Roly's vocals a highlight. There is a sub-plot about bullying that features a number of excellent cast members and away from the constraints of the fringe, this could be developed to perhaps illustrate the downward spiral of despair that the victim feels. There are other recognisable groups from every high school - the sports kings, the computer game nerds and the pink/cerise ladies.
One of the problems of having such a talented cast is that they all want a piece of the action and at times the size of the chorus and the quantity of different individual voices in numbers is almost overwhelming for the audience.
This may not be the hard hitting or thought-provoking storyline promised, but it is a highly entertaining show relevant to the issues facing young people today, delivered by an energetic and talented cast.
**** (Four stars)"
- EdinburghGuide
TERRY PRATCHETT'S 'MORT', YVONNE ARNAUD THEATRE, GUILDFORD, AUGUST 2008
"Death comes to us all eventually, but if you want to meet him ahead of time – and enjoy the experience – the place to go is the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre this week.
Librettist Jenifer Toksvig was thrilled to be commissioned to write a show for Youth Music Theatre UK, and even more thrilled when they gave her carte blanche to write whatever she wished - so what did she choose? Only what I would consider to be the most difficult of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books to stage – a fantastical tale of a world supported on the back of a giant turtle swimming endlessly through space, and peopled with wizards, witches, a magical flying horse and Death himself. . How can you possibly translate this crazy comical implausible Discworld novel into a show which will not only tell the story, but present it in a way which will entertain, and also show off the talents of every one of the thirty five performers? They have been chosen from country-wide auditions and are, says Toksvig “the cream of the crop and I don’t want to waste any of that”, so she tries to make sure that each and every one has a fulfilling experience and a chance to shine.
Well, all I can say is that cast and creative team have succeeded brilliantly, putting on a show which many a seasoned professional would envy, keeping Pratchett’s quirky comedy, enhancing it, and adding a little of their own. Maybe they were a trifle nervous at the beginning – opening song on opening night can be a bit daunting – but any initial tension disappeared in seconds and these talented teenagers kept the audience enthralled.
Even with a large cast, a multitude of characters meant there had to be a great deal of doubling up and also many scenes were of ‘multiple locations’ which together kept designer Sharon Davey frantically busy. I was particularly impressed too with the expertise of director Clive Paget and choreographer Lucie Pankhurst in their organisation of the busy crowd scenes, with every performer having their part to play, whether central to the plot or not. There are some lovely sketches here too with parents instructing their sons how to behave in the marketplace to impress prospective employers.
Poor Mort is the only one not to be chosen – until Death makes an appearance in search of an apprentice. Death is in the form of a black cloaked and hooded eight foot skeleton expertly managed by Daniel Hall, although as he gingerly approached a flight of steps the audience collectively held its breath, letting it out in a gale of laughter as he nearly toppled on the last one, emitting a sepulchral “Oh Bugger!” I’m still not sure whether this was a deliberate slip or not!
As the show progressed, and Death was attempting to experience human emotions, he became more ambitious – tried gambling, cooking, and dancing – even attempting a high kicking (well fairly high) number with four lovely dancers. There are some beautiful dancers in this show, some gorgeous singing voices too, and some exceptional acting. Jos Slovick is definitely one to watch out for in the future, playing Mort with sincerity, conviction and sympathy as his character progressed from humility to self-assertion, taking in infatuation and love along the way, but always with complete honesty.
Haslam’s music is as delightful as it is varied, from tender love songs to rousing choruses and mystical Latin wizardry, and swinging numbers for the first-rate dance sequences
Laura Woodward is a beautiful and arrogant Princess Keli – her dance with the ‘evil’ Duke certainly showed Benjamin Norris’s comic (and slightly camp) capabilities. Death’s daughter Ysabell progresses from petulance to comical romantic fantasies and finally tender true love in the hands of an enchanting Phoebe Fildes, while Marcus Dobson holds the story together as ‘the writer’ narrating the sequence of events
The show is truly magic, and hilariously so. It’s amazing how you can be drawn into the Discworld and almost begin to believe in it. Well worth seeing – and preferably more than once!"
- Sheila Connor, British Theatre Guide
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