I HAD my socks blown off on Tuesday night.
It was the opening night of East Berkshire Operatic Society’s production of Gypsy.
And at the end fellow guest and I mouthed one word – wow.
Quite simply, Gypsy was astonishing.
It’s a long musical show, and on arrival I was warned that the first half might be especially so.
But much of this production is superb, and the scenes, the songs and the time all flew by.
The story, with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and book by Arthur Laurents transports the audience to the veneered and smoke-filled world of American Vaudeville.
Based on the memoires of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, it follows the lives of two young performers, and their mother, Rose, struggling to survive the depression of the 1920s and 30s.
Rose, a victim of childhood abandonment, nurses an insatiable yearning for love and acceptance that wreaks havoc on her relationships.
Clutching madly to the American Dream, and living vicariously through her daughters, she takes them out of education, and puts them on the stage.
Today, her treatment of them could only be described as abuse.
So, it’s a dark story, but it’s told with great humour and warmth.
Like tear-stained mascara, it reveals the veneer and the pain of show business, while managing to remain both engaging and funny.
Lively music from the pit is provided by a superb 13 piece wind band, under the baton of Bridget Biggar.
On stage, a carefully jaded set partially reveals the Wilde Theatre’s black back walls, conveying both the height to which dreams can rise, and the depth of emptiness when they fall.
On to this smoke-filled and subdued palette, director Stuart Hayllor and choreographer Natalie Hayllor paint colourful and lively scenes, where every moment has been carefully and intelligently considered.
A lot of attention has been paid to character development, and it shows.
Laura Thain as Rose is exceptional.
Her performance is perfectly crafted and terrifyingly real, and her powerful voice rips from the songs all the pain and passion of a deeply damaged woman.
But it’s a show that the entire company can be proud of, with many very good performances, from both adults and children alike, that would not be out of place in the West End.
Gypsy is long, but it’s remarkable, and very entertaining.
My advice? Don’t miss it.
Gypsy: a Musical Fable, can be seen at South Hill Park Arts Centre, from Wednesday, May 8 through to Saturday, May 11.
Doors open in the Wilde Theatre at 7.45pm each evening, with an additional Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.
Tickets cost £23.50 for adults, with concessions on Wednesday, Thursday and the matinee costing £22.50.
For tickets and information, visit: www.southhillpark.org.uk
For more about EBOS, log onto: www.ebos.org.uk
