ACT Reviews 2022-2023 Season

BIG FISH music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by John August Director: Louise Colohan Musical Director: Ian Sherwood Choreographer: Liz Cardall Mid Cheshire Musical Theatre Company “Big Fish” was hooked and landed by this talented theatre group. Its course from novel by Daniel Wallace, to the silver screen, then on to Broadway was an interesting one. There was a pared down London production, which, by all accounts, did not fare well. It has taken community theatre to bring its delights to a wider audience.

The show is in a league of its own: set in the deep south of America, the music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa (Addams Family) would sit easily with “Will Rogers Follies”, “Barnum” and “The Greatest Showman”. The tuneful music makes this show an unabashed colourful entertainment, here played out by a first class band. A simple set of a cut cloth, on stage rostra, and a walkway round the pit, projected images and a touch of technical magic engaged the audience. They were taken on a journey where they meet witches, a giant, a mermaid and a circus showman. To deliver the complex portrait of Edward Bloom and his relationship with his family, and to stage re-enactments of Bloom’s tall tales, direction was inventive creating an enchanting family entertainment. The many different themes of the company numbers in flashback sequences all needed choreographed movement. The visual spice of dance routines, especially in the red and blue number paying homage to the Andrews Sisters, was full of razzle-dazzle. All this enjoyable craziness had to have recognisable characters: the costumes, make-up, hair and wigs gave credence to all on stage. This allowed fluidity in the character development. The ensemble work was full of energy theatrically capturing this folksy fairy-tale. The closing number of Act One, “Daffodils”, was a production highlight. Supporting roles added to Bloom’s fanciful world including