Wiltshire Times

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2008

Civic Hall, Trowbridge.

AS CONCEPTS go, throwing Shakespeare's words hundreds of years into the future via a cult B-movie and setting them to a backdrop of rock n' roll music, the idea behind Return to the Forbidden Planet, is a bit of a crazy one.

But as a company Trowbridge Youth Theatre copes with this admirably, showing talents well beyond its one year age.

Anyone who saw last year's High School Musical will have been blown away by the energy levels shining from the stage, and this time - transported to the planet of D'Illyria - those levels are back and greater than before, beaming Good Vibrations through the light years.
I have an admission to make, that as publicity officer for Trowbridge Amateur Operatic Society and TYT I have been involved with the production from the start.

But I promised the 22 cast members, director/choreographer Wendy Kiddell and musical director Phil Springate that this would make me their hardest critic. I knew how hard they worked and what an amazing atmosphere had built up a rehearsals, but I hadn't yet seen the finished production.

From the crew's amusing in-flight information and the amazingly effective choreography of the Wipeout take off routine, right though to Miranda's (Nicola Chatfield) deliciously camp Mr Spaceman, with a fantastic performance from the male chorus line, I found myself whisked away to another world.

It's hard to pick any stars from this galaxy of talent. Dr Prospero (Marcus Gobby) showed real rock star potential, and Eleanor Jones kept watchful eye as the Navigator, delivering a mean saxophone solo as well as almost faultlessly clear delivery of her lines. Multi-tasking was also brilliantly showcased by Leo Springate as trumpet-playing, love-fool Cookie, perfectly partnered for comedy with Bosun Leigh Walker. Sarah Connew's Gloria commanded the stage, and Andy Wickens' Captain Tempest led the way with a self-assured performance.

Wednesday night's highlight came from roller-skating robot Ariel (Ashley Holman), who didn't drop a note on the one fall he made while traversing a multi-level stage.
One downside was that the complex plot borrowed from The Tempest was sometimes lost - nerves were taking their toll with some rushed lines. But this was also due at times to the volume of underscoring from the youth band - although their talent does deserve an extra special mention as an integral part of the show.

Anna Mansell