Lucky Stiff
“A good line-up of principals for the main characters ensured the story was well told and I commend Harry for his sincerity of playing, coupled by a delightful, sweet-voiced Annabel, a joyously funny Rita, with a keen sense of comic timing, her equally funny brother Vinnie (he of the gorgeous legs!), impressive Luigi, beautifully stylish and seductive Dominique and above all, the still, silent portrayal of the corpse of Tony by Russell.
Congratulations to you all and also to the full supporting cast, your lovely Dancers, and naturally the Chorus, the vital backbone of any company.”
Geraldine Branton, NODA South West Councillor
"As always, the youngsters of KYT give it their all and their obvious enjoyment is infectious. Mark Sellick ... and Jennie Dick handle the romantic element well. Jess Kipling and Tim Cooper make an impressive comedy duo and Tom Coppin is a faultless dead body!"
Alan King, Bristol Evening Post
A letter from the National Operatic and Dramatic Association
Thank you so much for inviting me to your latest production for KYT last night, which Denis and I really enjoyed. It is always interesting for me to see something new and “Lucky Stiff” was all that and more! I was pleased the cast had not seen any previous viewings as they were able to impress their own interpretations for us, which were quite innovative and imaginative. Bravo!
A good line-up of Principals for the main characters ensured the story was well told and I commend Harry for his sincerity of playing, coupled by a delightful, sweet-voiced Annabel, a joyously funny Rita, with a keen sense of comic timing, her equally funny brother Vinnie (he of the gorgeous legs!), impressive Luigi, beautifully stylish and seductive Dominique and above all, the still, silent portrayal of the corpse of Tony by Russell. Congratulations to you all and also to the full supporting cast, your lovely Dancers, and naturally the Chorus, the vital backbone of any company.
I thoroughly enjoyed the music, which had distinct Sondheim tones I felt, and was superbly accompanied by your impressive Band. They never masked, for one moment, the young voices and for this I must also commend your sound system and impeccable diction of the cast.This can be quite difficult when the important narration is delivered through music. Well done! Congratulations are also due to Sarah and helpers for the Choreography, which was interesting and imaginative and so impressive in the Monte Carlo and Nightmare scenes, the latter which so impressed me, when all those terrible dogs came to haunt poor Harry! That leaves me with your lovely costumes, which were many, varied and so colourful and imaginative. I particularly liked the Show Girls’ fine outfits, complete with feathers and all those adorable dogs’ ears. So much hard work but created with such care. I finally commend your sets and props, which added to the authenticity of the venues and really set a fine scene in the train – well done designers and also the effective crew, working so hard throughout for seamless changes.
Well done everyone for an impressive first night and I hope the rest of your run is equally enjoyable.
My best wishes and kind regards are sent to everyone, particularly Sarah and you, Graeme with such a happy event to look forward to.
Yours sincerely,
Gerry.
Geraldine Branton, NODA South
West Councillor.
“LES MISERABLES” School Edition
I should like to add my congratulations to the many I feel sure you will receive for the very impressive “First Night” Denis and I were privileged to see on Wednesday. The story was simply and honestly told, with the minimum of set and props and yet, I feel sure this is what Cameron Mackintosh had in mind when he released Les Mis for schools’ performances. Your pace was excellent, about 30 minutes shorter than some productions I have seen, and retained our interest throughout. You were helped in this by the excellent Orchestra and what a joy to hear full orchestral accompaniment to this show! This might have intimidated young voices, but they need not have worried as the whole production had excellent sound backing – at times almost too much! I never like young voices to be forced, but it is natural for them to want to give of their best and this they all did in spades! Movement was well thought out and complemented by suitably coloured costumes of the period. However, watch the length of skirts in crinolines – they should all be floor length, showing no coloured footwear. Lighting and sound added great effects, especially in the impressive Barricade scene.
One could not fault Jean Valjean, who matured in character and voice as the show progressed and was so moving in his final moments with Fantine and Eponine. Another who impressed was Javert, who remained consistently strong and dominant throughout, making his final exit quite poignant. Fantine made a moving debut and held our sympathy to the end – a lovely voice. Cosette showed great maturity in one so young and her duos with Marius showed a memorable rapport. Eponine is a wonderful role, both dramatically and vocally and this performer deserves high praise for her portrayal. Marius, the student was sensitively played and sung, showing great maturity and rapport with his fellow actors, whilst Enjolras as the student leader showed distinction as befitted his role. Little Gavroche was a sheer delight, with tremendous presence and acting ability in one so young and full marks must also include the young Cosette and Eponine.This leaves the Thenardieres and what a duo! Larger than life, as they should be, every opportunity was grabbed, along with each ounce of comedy that could be extracted. Wonderful comic characters! Full marks to the rest of your fine company, whose dedication and honest approach conveyed the memorable stories so vividly and appealingly to us.
Thank you for inviting me and showing me, once again, what a fine young group KYTS is. I am so proud of all our Youth societies in the Region and feel confident the future of live theatre is in very safe hands after productions such as you deliver. Well done everyone!
Yours sincerely,
Gerry.
Geraldine Branton, NODA South West Councillor
“I feel sure this is what Cameron Mackintosh had in mind when he released Les Mis for schools’ performances. Full marks to your fine company, whose dedication and honest approach conveyed the memorable stories so vividly and appealingly to us. I feel confident the future of live theatre is in safe hands after productions such as you deliver” Geraldine Branton, NODA South West Councillor
“The enthusiasm and sensitivity of this young cast was mesmerising … Artistic Director Graeme Savage understood the piece extremely well … his compassionate interpretation brought out the very best in this immensely talented group. The cast were extremely strong with tremendous diction throughout. The 16 piece orchestra under the leadership of Kerrie Duce certainly did the score justice.” Malcolm White, NODA
“An enchanting evening of moving drama and music from a young cast without a weakness in its principals and considerable gusto from the chorus. Rob Cottrell is an inspirational Valjean, Russell Sage a menacing Javert and Mark Sellick outstanding as Marius. But all the supporting roles impress. Jess Kipling as the tragic Eponine, combines the skills of acting and singing expertly and Jack Cooper as the student leader and Kieran Squire as the urchin Gavroche also stand out. ««««” Alan King, Bristol Evening Post
