Brigadoon

Astwood Bank Operatic Society

THE decision to deviate from the usual Gilbert & Sullivan to take on the musical Brigadoon has been vindicated with a hugely enjoyable production.

A sell-out audience saw an enchanting, magical Scottish Highland tale, with wonderful singing and music.

The atmosphere was set from the start, with piper David Hill striding down the auditorium, playing his bagpipes in full Scottish regalia.

It is a love story but with added mystical overtones as it takes place in a village that only appears once every hundred years, due to a miracle granted to protect it from the evils of the world.

Two Americans stumble across it and one, Tommy Albright, falls in love with local lass Fiona MacKeith.

David Steele and Janna Mutton played these main parts with great assurance and their singing was faultless.

Tommy's friend Jeff Douglas, played by Karl Stallard, provided a great foil with his deadpan humour, and his scene with the desperate Meg Brockie, played by Paula Eves, was very funny.

There was tragedy also and the funeral scene was very moving. And I was very impressed with the bar scene, when the device of a semi-sheer curtain allowed for Tommy's thoughts to be shown to the audience.

The whole company seemed to be enjoying themselves and the inclusion of very good dancers from the Woodlands School of Dancing added very much to the show.

The choreographer Lesley Stocker, musical director Arthur Wrench and producer Bev Hatton are all to be commended for putting on such a wonderful show.