Once Upon A Matress - 4 out of 5 stars
Hills Musical Company
TICKETS: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1507606
For their May production, Hills Musical Company deliver a well-polished performance in Once Upon A Mattress, with Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer; Music by Mary Rodgers; and Lyrics by Marshall Barer.
Many moons ago in a far-off place, Queen Aggravain decrees
no couples may marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, finds a bride. Princesses
come from far and wide to win the hand of the prince, but none stand a chance
of passing the impossible tests given to them by the Queen. That is, until the
“shy” swamp princess, Winnifred the Woebegone, shows up.
This musical is near and dear to director Emily-Jo Davidson,
who discovered it in 2019 and fell in love with Winnifred, a princess unafraid
to be silly and a little grubby. Drawing on that connection, she shapes a
production built on the idea that women do not need to fit the perfect princess
archetype to be successful, while still embracing familiar fairytale tropes.
Also holding
the choreographer leg of this musical, Davidson never seems distracted
from the demands of either position. Every dance number serves the story rather
than existing for spectacle alone, and across the show’s emotional shifts the
excitement, anxiety and tenderness are nicely balanced. Shadow play appears
regularly in the musical numbers, with the “Prologue” and Act 2’s “Very
Soft Shoes” standing out as particularly effective uses of the device, however by the final time its used,
it is feeling overdone.
Matt Redmond’s musical direction is assured and detailed,
with the ensemble clearly benefiting from the work done in rehearsal. The group numbers are not only confident,
but remain crisp and intelligible throughout, allowing the lyrics to land
cleanly with the audience. Redmond’s 14-piece orchestra plays with an
impressive polish, supporting the action with a consistently smooth sound. The
musicians navigate the score confidently and cohesively, with no noticeable
lapses or technical issues disrupting the flow of the production.
Molly Noel is simply brilliant as Princess Winnifred (or
Fred), an out-of-place princess from the swamplands. The character work that
Noel embodies to effectively portray Fred is astonishing, as is her vocal
ability, control and confidence. “Shy” is a vocal highlight in Act One,
as is her dance effort to outlast everyone else in the “Spanish Panic”
routine.
As the antagonist Queen Aggravain, Ella Heywood-Smith does
not hold back in her consistently high-drama delivery throughout the long
musical. Her song, “Sensitivity”, alongside Maher’s Wizard, allows her
to showcase her vocal ability to great effect, earning strong applause from the
audience.
Matty Turner brings Prince Dauntless a perfectly pitched
naivety, using a gentle, childlike whine that makes the character more
endearing. His infatuation with each princess who attempts the Queen’s
increasingly absurd “tests” – including Veronica Rogers’ princess in the
opening sequence – feels sincere yet innocent, setting up his wonderfully
cartoonish reaction when Princess Winnifred arrives.
Matthew Phillips delivers a very comical King Sextimus,
cursed to be mute until the mouse devours the hawk. With no dialogue until the
final scene of the production, Phillips is forced to mime everything and does
so in a beautifully over-the-top fashion. A highlight is his duet with Turner
in “Man to Man Talk”, a very funny musical number. With the way Phillips
absorbs the mobility scooter into his character, you would be forgiven for
thinking that it has always been part of the production, and not an aid
following an injury in the lead-up to Opening Night.
Lady Larken and Knight Sir Harry are a couple awaiting
Dauntless’ wedding so they themselves can be wed, kickstarting the urgency in
finding a bride for the prince and drives the show, and Megan Davidson and
Thomas Sheldon embody their respective roles with precision and confidence.
Both Davidson and Sheldon have powerful vocal abilities that are present
throughout their songs. As a lady-in-waiting and a knight, their movement
offers a suitably accurate portrayal of the upper class.
Opening the musical is Katy Driver as the Minstrel. Acting as the Narrator, she helps us navigate the world with a knowing, slightly wry commentary. Upon joining the plot, she becomes an ally to the Jester, brilliantly played by Bennett Blaine, and together, they not only attempt to help Lady Larken escape, but thwart the Queen’s scheme against Fred. Driver and Blaine make a duo that is warm and fun to watch. Collectively, their musical number with King Sextimus, “The Minstrel, The Jester and I” in Act 1, is a joy and a highlight of the production, as is Blaine’s “Very Soft Shoes”.
Maximillian Maher’s Cardamon the Wizard is a delightfully
theatrical henchman, leaning into the character’s showbiz past. Maher gives him
a whimsical flair, forever trying to impress with small magic tricks even as he
remains firmly under the Queen’s thumb, dutifully dreaming up and overseeing
the increasingly impossible “tests” designed to keep any prospective bride away
from Dauntless.
Filling out the universe with knights, staff and ladies-in-waiting are Sophie Schwab, Charlotte Turner, Marine Frin, Zachary Baseby, Josh Winkler, Lachlan Stieger, Seb Calvert, Veronica Rogers, Brooke Stevens and Claire Wilks. As an ensemble, they are tight in their vocal work and choreography, as well as their characterisation and relationships with each other, and deserve equal recognition as the main and supporting cast members. Their work in assisting the backstage crew is executed smoothly with confidence.
Noting that it is not an issue with the creative team or the
production, there are issues with the script with surplus subplots that slow the
pacing and add little to the central story. While Act 1 is 90 minutes long and
Act 2 is 70 minutes, do not let that deter you from purchasing a ticket, as the
cast deliver a strong, consistent production throughout.
Hills Musical
Company’s Once Upon A Mattress combines heartfelt performances, thoughtful
direction and buoyant musicality to deliver a thoroughly entertaining night
out. With its playful subversion of fairytale tropes and a cast clearly
relishing the material, this production offers plenty of charm for both
seasoned theatregoers and newcomers alike.
- Andrew Broadbent
Comments
Post a Comment