Presented by: Adelaide Theatre Academy
Reviewed: 13 October 2022
Adelaide is chock full of up-and-coming talent, and Adelaide Theatre Academy’s Annie Jr. is yet another example of this.
The show was expertly led by director Billie-Rose Russell, choreographer Caley Watt, and music director Nikki Long. Direction was strong and used the stage well, and it was evident that these young performers have been drilled in stage craft during rehearsals for this show as well as their regular classes at Theatre Bugs. Musically the ensemble numbers were tight and had good clarity of diction, though occasionally some of the harmonies wandered. However, the choreography is a real standout in this production. It is slick and interesting to watch, with close attention to details such as head angle really topping it off. The movement and dance was visually impressive without being out of reach of the kids’ skills.
It is exciting to see some great up-and-coming actors in this cast (I saw “Cast 2 – Servants”). Emma Sayers as Annie displayed mature acting choices and nice notes of light and shade throughout her performance. Her voice was strong in her low register and sweet in her higher register, if lacking some power, but if she continues with voice training she has potential to be a great all rounder. Miss Hannigan, played by Bennett, was both funny and tragic, and wow, what a voice! Their rendition of Little Girls was a highlight of the show.
Other mentions must go to Lucy Parkes, who brought maturity to the role of Grace Farrell, Thomas Tirrell, whose Warbucks was more gentle and likeable than the character is often played, and Claire Saint, who brought a plucky energy to the role of young orphan Molly.
The set was simple, consisting mostly of cartoonish projected backdrops, and a sparse stage with benches or a desk, or lamp posts signifying a location. This minimalist approach kept set changes mercifully quick, and this was another area in which the cast were well-drilled, something that can often be neglected in adult amateur shows.
The only let-down in this show was the audio. While I fully acknowledge the difficulty in balancing two separate casts using the same sound desk and set of mics, it was often difficult to hear minor characters in particular over the underscore, and several scenes suffered from mics only being turned on part way through a scene. Hopefully the latter at least will become slicker for the remaining performances.
Annie Jr. was overall a great show by Adelaide’s young talent in the making, showing clearly the work that Theatre Bugs and Adelaide Theatre Academy are doing in developing the next generation of performers.
Reviewed by: Kristin Stefanoff
Venue: Goodwood Theatre & Studios
Season: 13 – 15 October, 2022
Duration: 1 hour
Tickets: $25.00
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/958368
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