What, no orchestra?
Northumberland Gazette, August 2004
The first thing that struck me was “What, no orchestra?” as there was nothing between the audience and the stage. All was revealed, or rather, kept hidden, as it was in the ‘barns’ that formed part of the scenery. This worked extremely well, almost like being in the round, and gave a really intimate feeling.
The lovely music was well performed, and the choruses and harmony were superb, due, no doubt, to Peter Brown’s excellent direction. I know what a perfectionist he is from personal experience.
Congratulations to Penny Brown on her choreography. Simple and well executed is much better than complicated and not so well done. I cannot single out any one person for special praise, as every single one was good in his or her part. The minimal set worked very well on this stage which has no curtains. I hope that Penny Oxley (the Fiddler) did not suffer from vertigo, as the barn roof looked pretty high. The lighting was good also. The whole show was a delight from start to finish. Thank you for inviting me.
Anne Storrs
