Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama: The Next Chapter! Review

★ ★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Natasha

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

The Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama (MADD) high-kicked July off to a rousing start with this fabulous Gala Showcase at Nottingham Playhouse. I saw and heard some wonderful renditions of musical theatre numbers old and new, on an exhilarating journey through 20th and 21st-century shows featuring the stars of tomorrow.

Thoughtfully curated by alumni and director Mark Hedges, the show was divided into two Acts - one classical, the other more contemporary - and includes a wide range of musical selections. Number after number was adeptly choreographed and presented, with a great mix of solo, group and whole company performances. Act One’s sixteen songs covered more traditional shows such as Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, Cats and Fiddler on the Roof. Act Two upped the ante with sixteen newer, more energetic (and arguably more challenging) selections from Dogfight, Hamilton, Amelie and Rent, amongst others.

Prior to the interval we were also privileged to witness the Graduation Ceremony of the outgoing third year students, and I must congratulate them all on a wonderful show. A particular highlight for me was their group rendition of ‘Big Spender’ from Sweet Charity, an amazing performance with an especially effective acapella section. It is impossible to mention all of the stand out performances by this accomplished group of graduates. Jake Hill’s comedic King George was a definite crowd-pleaser. The stunning vocal talents of Lorna Barron in the complex ‘Pretty Funny’, Phoebe Naughton’s ‘All Fall Down’ from Chaplin, and Emily Haigh’s rendition of ‘I Can’t Have You’, were among my favourite vocal solos. Dance-wise, this group of graduates are extremely well-trained and form a tight-knit ensemble, as evidenced in ‘Big Spender’ and other delightful performances such as ‘Money, Money, Money’ from Mamma Mia. Zimazile Nyathi’s balletic moves in her dance solo to ‘I’m Here’ from The Color Purple were visually breathtaking and well-supported by the other performers.

It is not only the graduates who are given their chance to shine, with all of the 60+ MADD performers featuring as singers and dancers throughout in company, group and sometimes solo pieces. The Year 2 students performed an amazing version of ‘Radio Gaga’ from We Will Rock You, revealing their already developing closeness as a group, together with some serious vocal talent and dance skills that complemented Kristian Cunningham’s innovative choreography. A performance of ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’, with a gorgeous musical arrangement and soaring harmonies, captured the talents of all three year groups well. Some Year 1 pupils I look forward to seeing in future shows include Lottie Stone (Amelie’s ‘Times are Hard for Dreamers’), Francesca Lewis (a confident and professional ‘You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun’) and Anais Smith (in a witty gender-swap version of ‘Honey Bun’ from South Pacific).

Despite these highlights, however, there is some room for improvement in the company. The major difficulty with a showcase such as this is that when performing songs devoid of their context, it is easier to veer into someone ‘just’ singing a song, rather than becoming a character. I therefore look forward to being able to see the pupils participate in an entire musical which will develop the talents on offer in terms of acting and storytelling.

But in conclusion, let me emphasise how impressed I was with certain aspects of the showcase. The stamina, posture, vocal and dance skills and onstage confidence on show clearly demonstrate the hard work that the students have put in. The graduating class have become a cohesive group of performers, and the other students look as if they will follow in their agile footsteps. Enjoy the next chapter!

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