Taste of summer a big success (From Wharfedale Observer)

Taste of summer a big success

2:50pm Thursday 3rd May 2012 in Leisure

Upstagers
Bradford Alhambra

After a week of almost non-stop rain it was a joy to attend Upstagers latest production of Summer Holiday, at the Bradford Alhambra last week.

Based on the hit movie of the same name, this fast- paced show certainly brought a ray of sunshine down from the cloudy skies.

The show plots the journey of four bus mechanics as they travel from London to Athens in a converted London Bus. They inevitably pick up some female passengers along the route and romance is never far away, especially for Steve (played admirably by Grant McIntyer), who truly believes he is god’s gift to women.

Unusually the show opens with an instrumental number and with a full- chorus dance routine.

Clever lighting was used to portray a heavy downpour but unfortunately this left the stage a little too dark for the audience to appreciate fully the quality of the choreography.

Don (Luke Bayer) was the leader of the four mechanics and portrayed the role, played by Sir Cliff Richard in the movie, brilliantly.

The other two members of the group were Cyril (Will Lambert) and Edwin (Dalton Wood). They all had solo songs and were instrumental in making the 60s style singing and dancing very credible. The girl band Do Ray Me consisted of Alma (Vicki Holmes), Mimsie (Terelle Kay) and Angie (Alice Goddard). Their voices were so well matched that you could easily have been watching a real female trio from the 60s.

The final role of Barbara was played by the extraordinary talent of Katie Pearson. She played the role like a seasoned professional and never let her American accent slip. This cast of eight was supported by a superb chorus displaying some truly stunning choreography. The final two parts of Stella, Barbara’s mother (Jane Steadman) and Jerry the downtrodden agent (Andy Dobson), brought in the comedy moments.

Colin Hadley