Great entertainment for the entire family
The Cowra M&D’s production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has huge shoes to fill after the success of the Wizard of Oz three years ago.
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I think it wears those shoes quite nicely.
A wonderfully assembled cast of experience, talented youth and some fantastic new faces has led to a show that will impress anyone that treats themselves to a ticket.
The Set
The show is full of wonderful props that bounce colour and marvel into the audience making you feel part of the set. Clever little gadgetry and the most amazing construction of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang itself provide a visual experience like none I have seen on the stage in Cowra. This show is a must for this alone.
The “Experienced”
Don Reid, Kerrie Bailey, Jenny Thompson, Craig Drayton, Phillip Curtis, Roslyn Ryan, Ernie Burgers, Jenny Friend and of course the ever present Lawrance Ryan have been the backbone of the M&D for such a long time and they certainly provide the spine for this production with performances that we have come to expect and enjoy. Each strong in their own right and it is clear by the chemistry with the other members of the cast that they have been wonderful mentors to the younger members of the team.
Welcome Back Carl
The long overdue return to the stage by Carl Erle in his role as Baron Bomburst is one of the highlights of the production. A larger than life performance that hits the stage with an earth shattering kaboom! Strong in dialogue and facial humour Carl brings that oomph that all musicals need.
The Leads
Simon Cato (Caractacus Potts) is clearly a seasoned performer. Simons chemistry with his lead cast is wonderfully honest and he was able to bring the physical aspect of the Potts character to life with terrific movement around the stage. Cowra is lucky to have him.
McKenzie Tarrant (Truly Scrumptious), a newcomer to the stage but you wouldn’t know. With a truly “sweet” voice McKenzie portrayed the character with an elegant persona in both movement and dialogue. McKenzie has made this role her own and her ability to handle the more difficult scene with moving props is commendable.
The Ensemble
Chris Larkin, Raelene Beecher, Megan Carney, Robyn Burgers, Geoff Goodacre, Amethyst Gunnyon-Geale, Trish Gunderson, Tracey Gunnyon, Sarah Marriot and Libby Murray along with younger stars Melissa Curtis, Henry Fagan, Holly Fagan, Skye Fagan, Aiden Gunderson, Tilly Gunderson, Leuwin McGill, Oscar McGill, Abbey Pearse, Sophie Richmond, Charlie Sturgiss and Brittany Worth make up one of the strongest ensembles assembled for a musical in Cowra. The volume created by the ensemble has made the tedious task of performing with recorded tracks quite tolerable but at the same time the clarity and quality of the vocal was never lost. The Torsion dancers have also been able to add a huge plus to the show with their usual strong, professional presence in the major dance numbers. I think that these collaborative performances have really taken the show from good to great!! It is wonderful to see so many young faces not only performing, but performing so strongly.
Stars of the Future
To split the roles of the junior leads was always the right idea with a run of eight shows and the four kids that were awarded these roles have responded marvellously! The role of Jemima Potts is shared between Phillipa Richmond and Niamh Webster while the role of Jeremy Potts is taken on by Brayden Curtis and Riley Pearse. Here we have four extraordinarily talented young people, all handling their responsibilities with maturity beyond their years. My greatest pleasure in witnessing the contrasts in their performance was that they gave the roles their own personality and I can’t pick a favourite. I would love to say I cannot wait to see them perform for the M&D for many years to come, but I think there are much larger stages in store for these four. Well Done!
The Boss
There is not a person in this town other than Robyn Ryan that could pull off two successful musicals of this calibre in two years. Robyn’s ability to have the show develop in small chunks and them bring them together in the 11th hour is amazing. As usual she has a fantastic tech and back stage crew to help her along. To take on a show like this after the success of the Wizard of Ozwas always going to draw comparisons. But it’s fair to say that both shows have stood up in their own right and made Cowra say Wow! Congratulations to the Cowra M&D for once again not only giving a platform for our creative performers to shine but also providing Cowra with top notch entertainment.
There are four chances left for you to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Friday, September 21 – 8pm, Saturday, September 22 – 1pm and 7pm, and Sunday, September 23 – 2pm.
Marc McLeish
No faults in Cowra’s aged care
On Monday night I watched the Four Corners programme on the state of aged care in Australia. Like many viewers I was shocked and saddened by the programme. It made me think how fortunate Cowra is with two excellent aged care facilities. My parents spent their final days in Weeroona and Bilyara respectively where they both received wonderful care. The staff and management of both facilities could not be faulted. As a visitor to Bilyara both when my mother was there and now when I am a visitor for present patients I am always made feel welcome. It would be encouraging to think all aged care facilities could offer the same level of care as Biyara and Weeroona.