Thank you so much for your kind invitation to attend your most recent production of 'Anything Goes'. This was the first time that I have been invited to attend one of your productions and I would like to thank you for the very warm welcome we received from your Chairman and Treasurer.

This was a most exuberant production! Most of the songs are classic Cole Porter that the audience could almost sing along to. The story is also a classic of boy meets girl, and vice versa, but it is the way that musicals of that era were - snappy, funny, melodic and with a happy ending. It also has a large dollop of tap dancing for good measure - always guaranteed to get the audience's toes tapping too.

You had a very workable set with a solid upper deck and 'staterooms' which fitted neatly under the steps and which made for slick scene changes (although these could have been a bit quicker) Incidental music did help, but it is not a good idea to leave the audience in the dark for too long.. Some atmospheric lighting, with interesting use of the lights on the steps which changed colour according to the mood of the music. There was good lighting throughout with no black spots on the stage.

The production was very well cast with a very accomplished principle line-up. They all suited their roles superbly and maintained them throughout. At any one time I could look at any member of the cast (and not just the principles) and see 100% commitment to the role. Even when all the attention was on one player everyone else was totally involved in the action. The diction levels were good and the dialogue was well paced with no awkward pauses.

You had a well considered costume plot of the period - furs were very much in vogue and I was pleased to see that these were worn. I was unable to tell whether they were real or fake but they all looked good.

Choreography was well planned and allowed everyone to dance. There were varying degrees of competence and it worked well to have the more able dancers as a separate troupe being called on for the challenging bits. 'Anything Goes' which closed Act l was bursting with energy and enthusiasm.

This show relies heavily on the characters of Reno Sweeney and Billy Crocker - their believability and their relationship with each other and the rest of the cast. Reno (Phaedra Ashford) sparkled all the way through and was the best Reno I have seen in a long time. From her first entrance in the Manhattan bar it was obvious that she possessed the magnetism to carry the role. She related to all the other members of the cast, especially Billy, Moonface and Evie with each of which she had duets. She 'wore' the role like an overcoat and was totally absorbed in it. Her diction was exceptionally clear and her singing could not be faulted. She was a woman of independence but with a soft centre, never brash and always smiling. A first class performance!!!

Billy (Bruce Walcroft) was a very well defined character. He had an excellent singing voice and very clear diction. He danced well and used the stage with confidence. He was sincere in his lovelorn portrayal regarding Hope but not mawkish. They made a delightful couple - very easy with each other. He was very convincing when in his role as assistant to Elisha Whitney and made a good foil for Moonface Martin.

I have only ever seen Moonface played by a younger man, but I would have to say that Nick James brought a charm and depth that I have never seen before and he made it entirely his own - it was no wonder that he was way down on 'The Public Enemy List'! Whilst not playing it entirely for laughs, the lines were delivered in a way that was designed to gain most humour from them - and it did! His song 'Be Like the Bluebird' is always a favourite with the audience.

Nicky Allpress played Erma for all she was worth and it really did pay off. She looked and acted the part of the gangster's moll with gusto, and managed to combine just the right amount of sauciness to gain the maximum impact from it. Her whole demeanour contrived to create a bubbly, not-so-dumb blonde who frolicked her way through the production, culminating in her rendition of 'Buddy Beware'.

Hope Harcourt needs just the right balance so that the audience don't think she is just an ineffectual high class female and Gemma Hicks had that to perfection. She did not possess airs and graces, she looked demure and was not in the least bit stuck up. She also managed to convey the struggle she was having refusing Billy when she so obviously was in love with him. An added bonus was that she had a very pleasing voice with good expression and sang beautifully.

It may have been 15 years since James Lole last played Lord Evelyn Oakley, but his charm had certainly lasted!!! A very convincing characterisation of a naive Englishman warming to the anecdotes of the American people and quite bowled over by Reno Sweeney. 'The Gypsy in Me' certainly gave him the opportunity to play it for all it was worth and was very well received by the audience.

Elisha Whitney (Brian Read) was both a boss to be reckoned with as far as Billy was concerned, but a real pussy cat with Mrs Evangeline Harcourt (Anna McCormack) and the two characteristics sat very well with him. I especially liked the part in his stateroom where he loses his glasses into Moonface's hat. This is always difficult to do without looking contrived but it worked so well and so slickly I almost missed it. Well done!

Mrs Harcourt managed to ably convince us that her dog was real and that she was completely dotty about it. She also showed the many facets of her characters regarding all the major players on the ship - and would brook no nonsense from any of them - a real gem of a part.

Reno's Angels Purity (Gillian Baker), Chastity (Rachael Harrison), Charity (Melinda Bennett) and Virtue (Debbie Mann) personified their names beautifully. They were also members of the dance troupe called upon for some of the more challenging aspects of the choreography. They played very well together as a team delivering some of the sauciest lines in the show with the right amount of sincerity.

The Ship's Captain (Peter Ashton) performed his duties with the right amount of authority and walked about the stage with a very correct naval bearing. He and the Ship's Purser (Duncan Bruce) managed to keep order aboard the ship and even drum up some enthusiasm regarding making Billy a celebrity. The Sailors' Quartet (Peter Ashton, Lyn Austen, Duncan Bruce and Jonathan Goodchild) sang 'There'll Always be a Lady Fair' with good harmony and feeling.

Henry T. Dobson (Frank Box) and Luke (Terri Austen) and John (Kate Bettison), although small parts turned out to be intrinsic parts of the plot, as did Fred (Ken Gillard) and the Lady in the Wheelchair (Teri Austen), so all must be congratulated.

I have mentioned earlier in this report about the commitment of the whole cast. Members of the chorus often think that because they are chorus they are not seen or noted by the audience - how wrong you are! The chorus plays a vital role in any production, and the ability of the audience to believe in the chorus is essential to the success of any production. Each member of the chorus should be able to assume a character and maintain that character throughout the performances in the same way that the principles do. Everyone on the stage is a character/actor in a production and the same amount of work and dedication has to be applied. If it is not it is apparent to the audience and their ability to become involved in the story is denied them.

I am pleased to say that your chorus did everything it should have done to allow the audience that special insight into the story of the characters aboard the SS American on its voyage. Thank you for allowing us to have that special insight too.