Presented by Noarlunga Theatre Company
Reviewed 8 May 2015
When an Andrew Sisters medley is the hit of a revue, it’s clear who the target audience is – anyone out for some real retro goodness who grew up with, or later discovered the stellar sing-a-long hits of the 1930s – 1950s.
Writer and director Sue Oldknow uses the bi-line “pure entertainment” and it is. While the staging is more subdued and simpler that her previous revues, Steppin’ Out features almost 20 songs, ranging from ballads to toe-tappers, set to the backing of Mark Hallam’s usual excellent sequencing.
It opens quietly with Janice Baily’s fabulous solo, I Get a Kick Out of You and remains relatively low key for most of the show, despite approximately 16 cast members regularly filling the stage for choral work, dancing and general antics. The up-tempo numbers are always the most fun, but there are several solo highlights including Cherylene O’Brien’s Lady is a Tramp, and Clare Kelly’s Smile.
Oldknow also appears on stage, primarily in the chorus, but she gets to strut her sensational singing voice late in the show alongside her sister Julie Oldknow. They sing Straighten Up and Fly Right and it’s worth the wait, with these siblings proving talent does run in the family.
The songs are interspersed with short comedy skits, further highlighting the talent of O’Brien as Mae West telling Sophie Tucker tales, and also Sue Cherry as ditzy factory girl Daisy, Kirsty Battersby as Gracie Allen, and there’s some great rapid fire jokes told by John Martin and Stephen Popowski.
At first glance the set and lighting are bland with the bare stage lacking any dressing other than a plain, white-walled background broken only by a centre archway. It soon becomes obvious however that the dressing comes from the numerous costumes by O’Brien, Vi Rowe, et al. The volume of period garments and the kaleidoscope of colours they bring fill the stage and any distraction from behind or above would simply be overkill.
Crowding is a problem in the limited space at times, although thankfully not too much. Fitting multiple open umbrellas onto the stage for a dance routine behind Deb Waller singing Stormy Weather proves to be no cause for alarm.
With repeated successes under her belt, Sue Oldknow has dared to be a little different with this retro review but the gamble has paid off, made even more enjoyable by the BYO cabaret seating arrangement for the audience. The music may not appeal to the younger generation, but it’s their loss, not ours.
Book by phone for Friday 15 May and mention Glam Adelaide to receive $15 tickets!
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Venue: The Arts Centre, Old Institute Building, 22 Gawler Street, Port Noarlunga
Season: 8-16 May 2015 (Fridays and Saturdays only)
Duration: 2.5 hours
Tickets: $14 – $20
Bookings: Phone 0499 870 929 or book online.
Disclosure: Director Sue Oldknow is an Arts contributor to Glam Adelaide
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