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Thoroughly Modern Millie Wows them at The Ferneham Hall

Author: RichardRickyPalmer

Published: 16th March 2011 07:20

Thoroughly delectable performance at the Fernham Hall

I have been a fan of Thoroughly Modern Millie since I was a child. Julie Andrews as Millie enthralled and excited me as she tried to woo her boss and failed to get her beads to hang straight.

Loosely based on the 1967 film, the stage musical opened on Broadway in 2002 - and won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In 2003, the show opened at The Shaftesbury Theatre in London. A colleague of mine saw the show when Amanda Holden was starring as Millie in London's West End; she said the show was fantastic, so I knew I was in for a real treat as I attended the opening night of "Millie" at The Ferneham Hall.

In her first leading role Helen Jolley gave a delectable performance as Millie - singing, dancing and acting her socks off. 26 year old Helen, who works as a police community support officer in Hampshire, has played many roles in local theatre productions.

There were some notable vocal performances throughout the show. I had goose bumps when Sue Rourke, as Muzzy, burst onto the stage singing "Only in New York." And Danny Owen, who played Millie's boss, Mr Grayden, had a booming voice that was a pleasure to hear. His duet with Becky Garnett (Miss Dorothy) "Ah! Sweet mystery of life/I'm falling love with someone" showed off both performers' vocal abilities, as well as their comic timing.

"Sad to be all alone in the world" was the evil Mrs Meers' catchphrase, and each time she said it I grinned from ear to ear. Although this character is not terribly politically correct, she is played perfectly by Marie Ridley, whose characterisation was a pleasure to behold. We discover Mrs Meers is actually her alias - she is in fact failed actress Daisy Crumpler, playing a grotesque characterisation in order to evade the authorities, as she is wanted for white slave trading.

A special mention must go to Robbie MacNab and Alex Hillman who played Mrs Meers' henchmen. They had to learn to speak and sing in Mandarin. Apparently they had to listen to CDs to perfect the language and the pronunciation. This gave the show an added edge, as they mesmerised the audience with their mastery of the language. At one point, they managed to sing Al Jolson's "Mammy" in Mandarin - how impressive is that! Well done guys.

Sarah Clarke as the curmudgeonly head stenographer, Miss Flannery gave an extremely good performance - and was a fun character that well deserved the audience's applause. Loved her tap dancing routine and her hairdo was pure comedy genius.

The positioning of the orchestra ensured they were visible throughout the performance. This was great, as I found my eyes drifting back and forth from the stage to the orchestra pit and taking the whole experience on board. The orchestra did a fantastic job, at one stage I was so engrossed in the plot I almost forgot there was a live orchestra.

This musical has it all: singing, dancing, comedy, bright costumes and perfect casting - and a great musical score. "So bang the drum, cos here comes Thoroughly Modern Millie Now..."

The show is directed by John Bettesworth, who has been involved in local amateur theatre for over 30 years. The musical director is Ben Lister. The show is choreographed by Matt Newman.

Congratulations to all involved in the show. I am looking forward to The Fareham Musical Societies next production in September; Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King & I.

My Verdict: Fab, fab, fab! If you get a chance, you have to go and see this show. Local theatre just moved up a notch.

Rickster's Plot in a nutshell.

Millie moves to 1920's New York - and wants to marry her boss (whoever he maybe)

Miss Dorothy abd Jimmy are Rich kids - they are sent out into the world by their eccentric Mum, Muzzy. She wants them to marry for love (as she did). So, to avoid fortune hunters, Dorothy and Jimmy go incognito to find that special someone.

Mrs Meers runs a hotel for young actresses. She is secretly the head of a white slave ring, and preys on young girls who have no relatives to snoop around or miss them when they "check out."

Miss Dorothy poses as an orphan - the perfect opportunity for Mrs Meers to snare her next victim.

It all ends well: Millie doesn't get to marry her boss, instead she falls for Jimmy. Miss Dorothy is wooed by Millie's boss, but eventually finds true love elsewhere - and they all live happily ever after (or so we hope!).