It is always a pleasure to attend GLOC shows as there are so many familiar & friendly faces present both on and off stage. Like many companies your interim shows are often based on songs from a selection of popular & less well known productions. I am indebted to Karen Steel & particularly Liz Yuille who spent a not inconsiderable time arranging the license for this compilation. This process is a lengthy & difficult one, prone with hazards & pitfalls, yet very necessary if the end result is to be legitimate. My thanks to Liz for agreeing to sit down with me at some point in the near future to clarify this process and put it into simple terms. It will be a most useful exercise. In this instance your selection was based on seven shows as possibilities for future production. The resulting 'tasters' could then be voted on by cast and audiences to give an indication of preferences. Voting slips in the programme added to the conversations of the evening especially during the fish'n'chip supper interval. I look forward with interest to hearing the final outcome. The evening was produced by the capable hands of Martin Elliff with Ken Williams wielding both baton and arrangers pen to good effect. Each section was then choreographed and costumed by different society members. This in itself is a great showcase for the depth of talent within the group as well as providing a learning environment for those wishing to take on main shows in the future. The setting was simplicity itself, an open stage, white painted cyc wall bearing the title of the evening's entertainment (skilfully executed as always by Rick Myrtle), and a stepped down apron providing a lower forestage also accessible from SR front-of-proscenium doors. With the excellent 8 piece band sited on the auditorium floor SL this large area was available for mass movement of chorus. This was duly & expertly achieved throughout the evening, maintaining a regular flow of performers on and off the playing spaces, creating an almost seamless event. I dread to think what scenes of chaos reined in the wings and dressing areas as hordes exited from one section to change for the next. However the whole company are to be greatly commended for achieving all this without any noticeable mishaps. Bravo. A sign of meticulous planning by the Producer I've no doubt. Lighting was simple yet effective, though I would have liked to have seen more money spent on additional cyc lighting to ring the changes more often. This aside the effects created worked extremely well, and with the usual flair for palette in costuming the pageant radiated a veritable rainbow of colour from start to finish. I guess inevitably with so many demands on radio mics coupled with so many costume changes there were bound to be glitches in sound operation. The system appeared somewhat muted at the start as if levels were for some reason at variance from the previous night. However by the end of the first number clarity had been restored. Occasional late pick-ups and loose aerials while detracting momentarily did not stop the packed house from enjoying every performance. The opening section contained 6 numbers from Calamity Jane with simple yet stylish choreography from Linda Hayes and western costuming co-ordinated by Barbara Myrtle. Of the six soloists used I would acclaim Rhiannon Owen for vocal clarity and Rob Eveleigh for comic panache, but it was the company harmonies in 'Black Hills' that got top billing from me in this section. Static tableaux plus blue coloured cyc and precise hand movements – marvellous. Then came 7 songs from Free As Air with choreography from Jo Burton and costuming by Margaret Kitchingman. The 8 soloists all gave of their best but I particularly noted the trio of David Benny, Adrian Duce & Sam Thomas in 'Let the Grass Grow', and the inimitable Dave Simpson ideally cast in 'Your Mummy Doesn't Like Me Anymore'. While these songs were undoubtedly hits with the audience I fear the show itself is dated both in style & content and is unlikely to gain many votes. Once Upon a Mattress was presented next via 5 songs and the finale. Karen Steel & Liz Yuille must have worn their collective fingers to the bone to create this stunningly spectacular set of costumes worthy of any top quality costume house. Allied with impressive choreography from Rick Myrtle this section took top honours in Act One for me. A comic opening featuring a recalcitrant lute in the hands of Nick King, strong chorus work throughout, fun gesturing from David Benny & Liz Yuille, and slick movement must have gained this section many votes. Act One closed with 5 numbers taken from The Card. Good choreography again from Martin Elliff & Kirsty Smith plus stylish Black & White costuming from Georgina Roberts will have helped a weaker show gain points. Nice vocals from Sam Thomas & Jane Salisbury in 'Opposite Your Smile' and fine enunciation from Dawn Slaughter in 'The Countess of Chell' just lost out to Rob & company in 'Lock Stock & Barrel'. Act Two began rather weakly and appeared to catch the technicians & audience mid chip! Order was quickly restored and 5 numbers from The Music Man ensued. Strong vocals from Linda Hayes & the barbershop quartet of David Benny, Martin Elliff, Nick King & Sam Thomas in 'Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You', plus Karen Anstiss leading 'Seventy-Six Trombones' scored heavily. However top marks in this section surely go to Colin Smith for his near faultless high energy performance of 'Ya Got Trouble'. Production credits here go to Sian Bowles-Bevan as choreographer, and the costume triumvirate of Sue Astbury, Natasha Dalal & Jane Salisbury. Lionel Bart's Blitz! never really fulfilled its promise. Written after Oliver! (He did like exclamation marks!) it was perhaps too close to the actual events portrayed, and suffered in comparison to its undoubtedly finer stable mate. I remember some years back GLOC chose to do this show, but the then company did not take to it and the project fell through. It is a very worthy contender in my mind for a major GLOC show, and the 6 numbers chosen to represent it tonight give evidence of just that. Karen Anstiss & Stephanie King took on both choreography & costuming in this section and produced 3 of my top ten numbers of the evening. (Should I have ended that statement with an !?) I've always loved 'Mums & Dads' and it works beautifully in concert format with adults playing the kids. Ann Baldwin lead her troupe of stalwarts very well in 'Leave it to the Ladies', and Dave Simpson reappeared in another novelty baritone winner, 'Duty Calls'. The final selection of the evening came from Anything Goes and opened strongly as Sue Astbury delighted the audience with a sparkling rendition of 'I Get a Kick Out of You'. I wasn't sure whether it was Karen Anstiss or Karen Steel cross-dressing in 'Friendship' but either way well done. And a fitting end to the evening was created by the whole company, ably fronted by Linda Hayes, in the tapping title number, with credits to Linda Kinghorn & Jacqueline Wood for choreography and costuming respectively. Once again a thoroughly enjoyable evening spent in the company of many and variously talented fellow thespians. I'm only sorry I shall not be able to see Honk! next June as it clashes with Kiss Me Kate that I am directing at the Minack for BROS. However I look forward to maintaining close links with your society further down the line.

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