The Drowsy Chaperone

Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison.Rosny College (Tas). Darren Sangwell (Director) Andrew Castles (Musical Director) Janelle Stowe (Vocal Director). Set (Adrianne Daley and Maddie Smith) Costumes (Nicole Ottrey). 17-26 May 2018

School shows increasingly exhibit high production values. A large and experienced production team are given the budgets to support what is recognised as a valuable learning experience for students. Rosny’s The Drowsy Chaperone is a case in point.

The Drowsy Chaperone is a show within a show, a solitary man reliving his memories of the golden age of musicals. The set, the domestic environment of the Man in Chair, was well appointed and versatile. The excellent choreography made the most of the space with seamless transitions between narration and action. The costumes, and there were many of them, were stunning.

The performances were vocally on point; diction was exemplary and supported by a tightly drilled band. The talent on stage was outstanding. Mitch Denman was in excellent voice. Georgia Cooper, Laura Cruise and Tayla Moschogianis gave very assured performances. Whilst some of the humour in the show is dated, part of the charm of the show is that it  pokes fun at itself. We can forgive Adolpho because the caricature was so well done (Dylan Burgos). The star of the show was, however, Isaac Sargent, as Man in Chair. Sargent’s performance was physically well characterised, funny and poignant.

Anne Blythe-Cooper