‘A Compelling Show in a Troubled World’ – A review by Paul Morris, former Head of English
Stepping into the college hall on opening night was to step into a world of high-rise tenements, noisy streets, dangerous back alleys, fire hydrants, drug stores, graffiti and gang warfare: Bernstein and Sondheim’s updating of Romeo and Juliet in their 1950s musical West Side Story. The choice of this classic was timely: although the style of the production firmly located the action in the 1950s, this story of lovers trying to connect across the barriers of hate and distrust whipped up by their different communities is as relevant today as it ever was.
West Side Story is famous for its dance numbers. Director Rachael Alexander’s background in dance and choreography came into its own here with a range of superbly enjoyable and dynamic set pieces which exploited the wide stage and the different levels to great effect. Her dancers captured the tension and pent-up aggression of the rival Jets and Sharks gangs, the exuberance of the community hall dance, and the gentle romance of the bridal shop. There were several standout moments: Lewis Galbraith danced and sang Riff with impressive style and confidence in Cool; the Puerto Rican women performed America with joyous Latin American pizzazz; and there was some wonderfully inventive and very funny choreography in Officer Krupke, a song that beneath the comedy makes the serious and still relevant point that our society too easily labels and marginalises disaffected young people.
Hannah Raman and Gabriel Boxall were superbly convincing as the two star-crossed young lovers, Tony and Maria. You could feel the whole audience literally holding their breath as Hannah sustained some astonishingly beautiful high notes; she imbued Maria with enormous wit and charm, tempered with an inner strength that came to the fore at the tragic denouement. With some splendid and highly engaging singing, Gabriel captured very well how Tony is surprised and overwhelmed by the sudden arrival of passion in his heart. Their sensitive, thoughtful and delicate portrayal of their doomed relationship was compelling and deserves huge praise. Souleima Karoui as Anita brought some brilliantly sassy energy and a powerful voice to the show which transforms in the second half into touching pathos as she overcomes her grief and anger to support Maria. Jonathan Turberville-Tully as Bernardo brought a very strong edgy stage presence and an effective sense of danger. The vocal coaching by Voice Specialist Jen Collins and Music Director Rowan Williams paid off very well in all these performances, the singing being noticeably more skilled than most other school or college productions I have seen. Lighting, costumes and stage management were skilful and effective: special mention to Tor Stephen and Alex Hocking on sound, to Erin Gunnell for operating the lighting board and to Chris Crosswell for the set and lighting design.
In a run of strong productions over recent years, this year’s West Side Story was a standout and is compelling testimony to the commitment of students, teachers and the college as a whole to the performing arts. Performances like this are important to us all – both those who take part in whatever way and those who come as audiences. They enrich our lives and teach us so much that we need to help us in a troubled world.