Review: Thoroughly Modern Millie, St John's School, Marlborough (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Review: Thoroughly Modern Millie, St John's School, Marlborough

12:00pm Friday 16th December 2011 in Theatre & Arts By Nigel Kerton

This was a thoroughly enjoyable and professional production, which kept the audience enraptured with great music and wonderful singing.

The St John’s students’ performing talent, nurtured by director Max More and producer Steve Tapper, never cease to amaze and could have passed for a professional production.

This show was full of verve and bounce, great voices and acting combined with youthful enthusiasm and it would be difficult to single out any parts of the two-hour show that did not hit the mark.

The director, who also led a capable orchestra in The Speakeasy band, must have been the proudest dad in the auditorium as his daughter Alice played the lead role of Millie Dillmount with total confidence and a fabulous voice.

It would be wrong to single out any member of the cast for special praise because all of those with singing parts, including the Priscilla Girls who entertained in the hotel and the chorus, gave 100 per cent.

The choreography by Andrea Smith was excellent – maybe a bit less of the boys’ gymnastics in future shows – and the hired costumes were delightful.

The stage set was superb and the regular changes required were quick and unobtrusive; the lighting and sound teams made sure the action could be seen and heard.

This was an example of everyone from the director and producer down to the youngest member of the cast all pulling together in typical St John’s style to put on a scintillating show.

Nigel Kerton