The sun will come out tomorrow, and for all of Annie’s run in Blackpool until Saturday. For this evening’s premiere this meant alfresco drinks and dining for many beforehand, and summer dresses and t-shirts in the auditorium. It boded well for a great evening and the large audience was not disappointed.
Casting can be crucial in productions of established favourites, and one of the interesting features of this production is Craig Revel Horwood in the key role of orphanage matriarch Miss Hannigan. For the opening night only however this role was undertaken by Jodie Prenger. As a Sandgrownun with rich experience in Blackpool theatre she was always going to be well received but she threw herself into the performance with infectious enthusiasm, humour and authenticity. And we all know she can sing. It would be fascinating to compare and contrast her take on the role with that of Craig Revel Horwood, which I’m guessing will be a little more tongue in cheek.
The role of Annie is shared between three actors. Tonight it was performed by Zoe Akinyosade, who gave a confident and assured performance that avoided the over-sentimentality that could be a risk with this production. All of the young female supporting ensemble were polished and contributed to the feel-good experience on the night.
There was much to like about this interpretation of the classic film. From the outset the audience was very much on side due to strong choreography and vocals and, equally importantly, a few well-placed jokes that went down well. There was some innovative set design, including the radio show re-enactment with detail including applause lights that everyone around me was more than happy to oblige on.
The only flat spots for me, in this up tempo feel-good show, were some the rather improbable involvement of President Roosevelt as a friend of benefactor Oliver Warbucks. This is probably a difficult task for any production of Annie to pull off these days (how do you make a song opening with ‘I know the depression’s depressing’ not corny?), but is soon forgotten as the pace again quickens towards a rousing finale.
The programme for the show includes a moving tribute to Paul O’Grady, who was originally cast alongside Revel Horwood in the Miss Hannigan role before his untimely passing this Spring. As the presenter of For The Love of Dogs he would have been taken by the canine lead in the production who, other than when briefly pausing to scratch an itch, didn’t put a paw wrong in the scenes it featured in.
I was accompanied to the show by my wife Jane who is an uber fan of the film Annie. She vividly remembers going to see Annie at the cinema in 1982 and was delighted to have the soundtrack as her one and only vinyl for my record player as a child. She has never wanted to watch another version of Annie since than, concerned it would loose the “magic” from her childhood. However, relenting tonight only served to bring the magic to the surface again. She thought this was a brilliant interpretation and performance and is now considering watching it again just to see the change Revel Horwood brings to the stage.
It’s hard to disagree with her. A standing ovation was impeccably observed at the finale by an audience that had clearly being richly entertained. If songs like Hard Knock Life, Tomorrow and Easy Street bring back memories for you, catching this show by Saturday is recommended.
Annie is at Blackpool Opera House with matinees on Thursday and Saturday and evening performances all week. Tickets here.
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