Fans of Enid Blyton’s Mallory Towers and St Clare’s and all other girl school stories rejoice. This new musical will take you down a memory lane of boaters and blazers, pleated skirts and aertex shirts, Latin and literature, the inevitable hockey sticks and some adventures in the bright lights of the City. Gasp! Swoon!
Set in 1963, there’s a terrible new headmistress (artfully played by Rosemary Ashe) at Dame Dorothea Dosserdale School for Girls who plans to ruin things. She wants to turn up the discipline and turn out wives not career gals. Yet the inspiring Miss Austin (played by unforgettably nice Sara Crowe) cheers the girls along despite the dastardly deeds of headteacher’s pet snitch Brenda (Georgia Oldman has a gift for comic acting and can certainly belt out a song).
And amongst all this girly innocence there is a crush – which might be something more. I don’t recall the gay girls at my school being quite so “out”. There were plenty of laughs generated, in part, by some subtle double entendre and in part by such overt homophobia.
There’s some tap dancing for good measure. And in the London Club dream scene, Brianna Ogunbawo (playing Daimler) confirms she has a strong and deeply melodious voice despite her young years. The other star turn was the only male in the cast – James Meunier – in his fun portrayal of the glorious Marlene Dietrich.
The set for the school was low key – conveying a sketch-like quality that evoked memories of childhood comics. But colours emerged for the London scenes and Battersea Bridge at night was especially memorable.
Whilst I’m not a huge fan of musicals, I admit that the songs were quite good even though I didn’t find myself humming any of them on my way home. The band was small but beautifully formed. Different styles of music were used to good effect – one moment patriotic and stirring, at other times sporty and playful and at other times desperate and dramatic. The lyrics (always crisp, fresh and funny) deserved a gold star.
And of course it has a jolly good ending – with a rousing chorus of the school song.
http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/crush/richmond-theatre/#overview_tab
The performance lasts from 730pm until 10pm and runs at Richmond Theatre until Saturday 3rd October.
