REVIEW: Chookas' 'Company'

53 years after its premiere performance, Sondheim’s ‘COMPANY’ holds up just as strong as it did then thanks to Chookas.

The music is exquisite, and the musical and lyrical motifs are more than enjoyable (which is definitely a good thing considering just how much the same intro of music is played throughout the show).

The actor’s all have great vocal skills, big props to music director Mathew Gallimore for handling such a mammoth score and creating a very pleasing vocal performance from the entire cast. On top of this, Maddie Ballie’s simple (and sometimes fast and impressive) choreography is extremely effective and not a single actor lacks dedication to the music and choreography.

COMPANY is a character-driven show, so the direction is crucial. Danny Folpp and Jody Miller’s direction does not disappoint, and is some of the best CHOOKAS has seen. The use of the coloured cubes to create different sets is incredibly smart, considering the set limitations the space provides when this production is set in a million different places, with little transition times.

Highlights include;

🍸 Marty Worrall’s beautifully true-to-life presentation of ‘Bobby’

🍸 Kacie Bourke’s hilarious ‘(Not) Getting Married Today’

🍸 Bec Kynaston’s powerhouse vocals in the many-part song ‘Another Hundred People’

🍸 Pip Thoroughgood’s phenomenally funny performance as ‘April’

Even with these specific highlights, the entire company of COMPANY were next-level.

The only thing setting this production back are the acoustics in the building. As NTC is such an immersive and a smaller space, microphones for the cast aren’t needed (I believe there are mics at the front of the stage, but it doesn’t make too big a of a difference). With this, sometimes the softer singing moments are lost. Even sitting in the front row there were a few singing lines that couldn’t be heard.

So grab some friends and get your tickets! Because it really is true, “Company is sublime”.

🍸🍸🍸

COMPANY The Musical

14-24 June 2023

Newcastle Theatre Company

https://au.patronbase.com_NewcastleTheatreCompany/Productions

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