The Shire Music Theatre’s choice of a rarely performed Broadway musical, Bill Russell and Henry Krieger’s 1997 ‘Side Show’, proved to be an inspiring choice.
‘Side Show’ was inspired by and loosely based on the lives of Daisy and Violet Hilton, two conjoined (‘Siamese’) twins who were vaudeville stars in America during the Great Depression. Fiercely independent, the twins managed to break away from their fate of being regulars in a freak show in a Side Show circus to become a feature act themselves, showing off their ability to sing, dance and play musical instruments, and later went on to perform in a couple of Hollywood films.
‘Side Show’ is a celebration of the passion for the possible, with music being the heartbeat of the production. As a drama, the show pivots around Daisy and Violet’s cruel and unavoidable dilemma in their search for love. How can they find and keep a man when privacy will never be possible?!
The show was performed in an operatic style with the twins’ journey told through over 20 songs. Russell and Krieger put together a good mix including some tender ballads, ‘Who Will Love Me As I Am?’ and ‘I Will Never Leave You’, a bit of gospel with ‘The Devil You Know’, and some colourful songs, including a journey down the Nile river in ‘We Share Everything’ and a trip through a ‘Tunnel Of Love’.
Sonja Benson’s direction and choreography and Andy Peterson’s musical direction of a great eight piece band impressed. The show was performed by the cast with distinction. The principal players performed well, appreciative of the well drawn characters. Linda Hale played the ambitious, extroverted, flirtatious Daisy whilst Cara Dibdin was the shy, reserved Violet. Gavin Leahy as Buddy, an aspiring musician, and Michael Astill as Terry, a talent scout and promoter, played the two men who made it possible for the twins to have a better life.
Edward Mafi played Jake, an Afro-American who worked with the twins in the freak show, playing the Cannibal King, and moved together with them, and was their protector and friend. Stephen Halstead played The Boss, the tough sideshow manager who didn’t want to let the twins move on.
The supporting cast were great, showing plenty of range, at one time being participants in a freak show to playing society people and then to playing pushy reporters.
Production values were strong. There were numerous set changes that were managed well, a huge wardrobe with some stunning costumes, and Tim Dennis and Lachlan Roberts’s lighting design worked effectively and even included the use of a large spotlight.
My recommendation. Try and get to see ‘Side Show’ before it closes! This is a great story that is given the full heart and soul treatment.
Shire Music Theatre’s revival of Bill Russell and Henry Krieger’s ‘Side Show’ opened at the Sutherland Memorial Arts Theatre, East Parade, Sutherland on Saturday 8th October and runs until the final performance, a matinee, at 2pm on Sunday 17th October, 2010.
