ACT Reviews 2022-2023 Season

Two confident performers who certainly played the roles for laughs. Stand-out comment must go to two supporting actors of the piece – Peter Bowler as Doctor Grimwig and Tom Chatterton as Noah Claypole. Peter, who I believe came out of retirement just for this production, should certainly offer lessons in ‘how to steal a scene’ with his antics of the drunken Doctor having the audience in hysterics – from his business with his doctor’s bag to sliding drunkenly down stairs to his troubles with the hatstand. A seasoned performer milking a cameo for absolutely everything that it’s worth. Similarly, Tom is following in his father Ian’s footsteps at becoming a stand-out performer on the local circuit to watch. This, I believe, was his first musical and his experiences in plays certainly paid of with a confident delivery and command of the stage in his scene in the undertaker’s. Well done! Further special mention must be paid

to Oliver Kilbourn as ‘Nipper’. His business with Fagin at the end of ‘Be Back Soon’ was lovely and earned him a thoroughly

deserving round of applause. For me, the absolute stand-out joy of this production was the hard working, smiling and energetic chorus of children who were absolutely loving every minute of the show. They were well trained, well drilled and worked perfectly in unison together – whether as workhouse children, Fagin’s gang or in the bigger chorus numbers on the streets of the city. It’s always a joy to see a group of youngsters ‘In Action’ who will one day,