Mack & Mable

Can't do a particularly in-depth review, as I didn't buy a programme, and I'm afraid I'm not even sure of the name of the amateur company that put this on, at the Sutherland Entertainment Centre in the southern suburbs of Sydney....so my apologies to those concerned.

But for a community theatre performance, this would have to be one of the strongest I have seen in a long time, particularly for its production values.

I went along to see my friend Kim DeLury in his first musical production, in the lead role of Mack. He showed a commendable command of the genre, possibly because it was also a strong acting/narrator role. The woman who played Mable was also very strong - the role being not quite as demanding character-wise, but requiring her to belt out some big show tunes, and she seemed more at home in the big, Broadway style.

It always seems funny to me to hear Aussies putting on the American accents, but in the case of most Broadway musicals (and particularly this one, being based on true characters) there doesn't really seem to be any other option; and they were all pretty polished and consistent so it worked fine.

The ensemble and the many character roles were all of a very high standard; it was obviously quite competitive to be cast in this show, with no weak links to speak of. But what most impressed me was the attention to detail that was placed on costuming such a large cast, the design of the set (incorporating appropriate film footage of the Keystone Cops and other Mack Sennet silent movies), and the excellent orchestra of about 20 pieces. I hadn't been expecting that sort of quality from what I had been led to believe was "a small community theatre production" - I wouldn't have called it small!

I don't believe I'd even heard of "Mack & Mable" - is that just my ignorance? There are several good catchy songs and the story is surprisingly coherent compared to many musicals. (Again, perhaps because it is based on a true relationship?) Surprising too, that it has a rather down-played ending, yet it all works very well.

A very tight, impressive, well directed production, in a marvellous venue. It left me feeling that there's certainly no limit as to what can be achieved in community theatre.


Cheers
crgwllms

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