Bugsy Malone with The Bristol Hippodrome Stage Experience
Posted on: 2017-08-05
Our rating:
It was truly hard to believe that there was only a one week rehearsal period before this production was performed in front of an audience twice at the weekend because it was so slick.
The Bristol Hippodrome's stage experience 2017 was a great success when it took to the stage on Saturday the 5th of August in the form of the well loved gangster tale - Bugsy Malone.
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Splurge guns and flapper dresses were at the ready as lots of young people put on a sensational show that transported us to New York City when it was 1929.
It was truly hard to believe that there was only a one week rehearsal period before this production was performed in front of an audience twice at the weekend (for both a matinee and evening performance) because it was so slick. Each and every one of these young budding stars clearly had worked tirelessly to remember their lines and moves; and the audience was obviously full of proud friends and family members.
There were 90 places in the cast available for young people aged between 10 and 18 years and every one of them deserved the position they got; it was overwhelmingly heart warming to see them work so well together in a stage environment and it wasn't obvious which ones had never been on a stage before. For myself and my family though, it was Kori Campbell (that played the part of Fizzy) that really stood out the most. This young lad made everyone's jaw fall to the floor when he sang his solo in the first half of the show because his voice was so powerful and it was hard to contemplate that it only came from a child. Both myself and my husband said he's going places and couldn't believe what we were hearing - he just gave it so much gusto when he had to perform a number and it was as if he was a veteran of the performing arts world already.
Two other shining stars of Bugsy Malone were Blousey (Nelly Batt) and Tallulah (Evie Long) - who both had fantastic voices and noticeably mature acting skills. Of course, Oliver Painter (who was Bugsy Malone) also warrants a mention as he earned a huge amount of respect from me for being able to be the centre piece and not display any nerves.
The storyline was about how Dandy Dan's hoodlums were terrorising the district, getting rid of people they didn't like with their splurge guns (the accompanying sounds and foam that went with these weapons really tickled my 6 year old daughter). The rival of this gang is Fat Sam Staccato, but his team still uses old-fashioned pies and Bugsy Malone is the apparent last chance for Fat Sam's gang.
It really is fantastic that these young people had a chance to discover what life is really like as a musical theatre performer and productions like this should continue to be really encouraged. Allowing young people to channel their energy into a project that produces a satisfactory end result is a fantastic concept and it encourages their creativity to flourish.
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Article by:
Kelly worked as a journalist for the BBC for 12 years before she changed careers and went into the field of marketing. Having worked at BBC 6 Music for several years, she is passionate about many different genres of sound. Her other interests include theatre, comedy, books, food and days out with the family (she has a young daughter who she describes as a "whirlwind of fun.") Kelly is married to Vik who is a true Bristolian to the core! She is also studying nutritional therapy.
