The Sound of Music must be the ultimate 'feel-good' musical, and in its latest manifestation at St. John's College Auditorium there are definitely good vibes to be felt. This is really due to a number of outstanding singers who lead the show, and make up for the moments when the performance rather lacks the professional touch. There are so many opportunities for these stunning voices to be heard, from the opening a cappella chorus to the final uplifting number urging us all to 'climb every mountain' that it is a shame the production is not more dynamic.
Rebecca Bryan leads as an appealing Maria, and she dominates the production both through her character's engaging personality and her own beautiful voice. Similarly, Joanna Wade as the Mother Abbess contributes confident and clear singing. Both voices have a purity of timbre that manages to cut through the rather unfinished band sound, as well as being perfect for the earnest characters and themes of the musical. It's good to see a number of children filling the roles of the Captain's children with great confidence, upstaging some of the adult characters with their enthusiasm. How the insipid and confusingly youthful-looking Captain, played by Adam Walton, could have produced such an energetic brood is quite mysterious.

Director Stephen Bartlet-Jones has opted for a traditional approach to staging, using a rather unimaginative set and a minimum of props to set the scenes instead of taking full advantage of space and light. As a result, the production at times begins to lack pace, and this is not helped by slow scene changes and large numbers of stage-hands scrambling about between scenes. Similarly, the placing of the band in front of the stage, where its sound often overwhelms the voices so that lyrics and dialogue cannot be heard, does little to heighten the drama.
This said, this production is both fun and charming, with the innocence and old-time magic of the show providing all with a chance to escape from reality for two hours. The vocal talents and energy invested by the lead players into Richard Rodgers' score ensure that despite our familiarity with the show, we can be moved and touched by it yet.

Olivia Rowland 30/5/01