Advertising prices for All Shook Up

INSIDE FRONT PAGE – £ 225.00
280mm x 192mm
right hand pages – £ 200.00
280mm x 192mm
left hand pages – £ 180.00
280mm x 192mm
back page – £ 240.00
280mm x 192mm
inside back page – £ 200.00
280mm x 192mm
half pages – £ 100.00
135mm x 192mm (LANDSCAPE)
quarter pages – £ 60.00
135mm x 95mm (PORTRAIT)
eighth pages – £ 45.00
280mm x 192mm (LANDSCAPE)
sixteenth pages – £ 30.00
45mm x 65mm (LANDSCAPE)

Performed at the Cramphorn Theatre, Chelmsford, March 22, 2012

Director – Fiona Lipscomb, Musical Director – June Watson

Arr, Stephen Kingsbury’s version of Treasure Island, not to be confused with the pantomime of the same name, be a grand show for young people of piratical persuasion. With a fixed set and a few large props it be possible to create life on board the Hispaniola, in the Admiral Benbow Inn or even on the beach at Skull Island. The right young crew of this show be fiercely yet colourfully dressed as pirates (or parrots) and be bringing fun for all. Young Jim Hawkins be splendidly played by Loretta Bushell whose every word could be heard at the back of the theatre. There be a fine contrast too between the very proper way of speaking by Sarah Horrrex’s Squire Trelawney, her crew of Mr Arrow and Doctor Livesey, and the pirate’s way of speaking by Henry Whittington as Long John Silver. Black Dog and Big Jesse be bringing lots of fun with their performances as a double act and Callum Bates as Benn Gunn be hilarious in the Cheese Song. I be right surprised by the distribution of emotions between the two acts. It seemed to this land-lubber that the best bits all be in Act 2 including the Bevy of Beauties and Poor Lost Souls. Even Polly (Charlotte Golden) be much busier in Act 2. Ne’er no mind, o’erall, Treasure Island be a right good show with some grand singing and dancing. Well done me hearties!

Reviewer – Stewart Adkins

Amateur theatre groups are always looking for people to get involved behind the scenes and almost everybody has something to offer.

Forget about your perceptions of amateur theatre – frequently you will find that the only difference between amateurs and the professionals is the wage.

Springers is one such company and is currently looking for individuals to become our next set designers, set builders and stage managers.

Have you got the creativity to bring a story alive? Or can you manage a project from the concept to the delivery?

Although previous experience desirable, it is by no means essential. We are a friendly group and willing to support and develop anybody who has the aptitude and willingness to lend their time.

For more information please get in touch via our contact page.

Bad Girls

Of course it’s perfectly possible to write a memorable musical, witty and hard-hitting, about life in a women’s jail. But Bad Girls isn’t it. It only managed a couple of months in the West End, on the back of the popular television series from which it took its title, its character [and several actors] and many of its plot developments.

Springers latest outrageous musical offering featured many strong performances from a cast mingling youth and experience, Ian Myers’ great pit band [perched high over the action] and an evocative set which made the best possible use of the limited space. Sharon Scott’s in-your-face direction was full of effective ideas the sounds in the dark, the riot quelled at the end of Act One, the ingenious exposure of the villain.

The chief weakness was the songs. Kath Gotts, determined to shoe-horn as many numbers as possible into the improbable book, threw in an uneasy mix of styles, slowing the action or contradicting the characters. The fantasies worked best an unlikely Astaire routine for the sexual predator Fenner [Ian Pavelin], or the Life of Grime duet [lovely double act from Deborah Anderson and Sharon Gardner as the two Julies]. One successful marriage of music and drama was the ironic Guardian Angel duet for the two dealers [Amy Jones and Tamara Anderson]. But Julie S’s touching phone call to her young son was not much enhanced by the forgettable song which followed.

Great work from all these actors, and many more, including Wendy Barber’s Compo Noreen, Nikki Myers as the token shop-lifting Evangelist, Beth Neame’s nave new broom with Natalie Petto as her love interest, Mae Pettigrew’s vulnerable Rachel, Maz Clarke’s Bodybag and Catherine Gregory’s wonderfully brassy Yvonne. And a special mention for Kieran Young, enjoying his Blonde Bombshell moment on G wing.

Although it seemed bizarre to be expected to laugh and applaud in the face of girl-on-girl violence, corruption and deceit, the audience certainly responded warmly to this tale of life inside Larkhall.

Bad Girls – Springers

Director – Sharon Scott, Musical Director – Ian Myers

Once again Springers took a risk on a less well known show and it paid off handsomely – theatrically, without a doubt; financially, I suppose we shall have to wait and see. For me Bad Girls – The Musical was an unknown quantity apart from a distant memory of a half-watched TV series while channel-hopping long ago. But a musical? Well, Chicago did well enough for a prison genre musical so why not Bad Girls?

It has music from all sorts of styles – from gospel to cabaret – and emotions stretching from fun and laughter to sadness and pathos. Its also has a strong narrative and some excellent sub-plots, requiring good characterisations. Bad Girls also requires lots of talented women, of which Springers seems to have more than its fair share. Amy Jones, in her principal debut as Shell Dockley, not only provided much of the erotic frisson of the production but had an amazing singing voice and portrayed the somewhat laid back, manipulative vixen beautifully. Natalie Petto as Nikki Wade in another debut principal performance was another revelation. Great voice and attitude.

The two Julies, Deborah Anderson and Sharon Gardner, were just right, with Deborah having the wonderfully poignant song, Sorry. Joined by Catherine Gregory as Yvonne Atkins, who delivered an extremely confident performance and a rip-roaring A-List, the two Julies also gave us the hilarious All Banged Up. I was confident the girls could manage an encore but wasn’t sure if straight-laced Justin Mattison, the straight-laced prison officer (excellent, controlled performance by Pete Spilling) could cope twice in a night. There is no doubt that Ian Pavelin’s Jim Fenner was up for anything, however frequently he was required, but what a peach of a part. Arrogant, devious, downright evil in The Key but with just enough humanity (even fun during The Future is Bright) that you wanted to watch him and see what happened. This was a great performance and no doubt the envy of every red-blooded male in the audience.

I loved Tamara Anderson’s aggressive, energized Denny and her vocals displayed a strong chest voice – a mezzo perhaps? Nikki Myers captured the Caribbean accent of Crystal Gordan well and sang Freedom Road with great power and feeling. Maz Clarke as Sylvia Hollamby was a good foil for Jim Fenner and Mae Pettigrew did well as the victimized Rachel Hicks. Beth Neame portrayed the Wing Governor, Helen Stewart with compassion and sensitivity and sang a great duet with Nikki Wade. Colin Shoard was a strong Number One in what was almost a cameo role and Wendy Barber added some great one-liners as the old con with a drug habit.

The set, costumes and sound effects were spot on for this show and don’t warrant more comment. The balance of sound between band and company was good and the whole production was slick and pacy. The choreography was fun and, at times, such as during All Banged Up, hilariously so. Occasionally the actors needed to punch out the lines a bit more during the dialogue but this can vary from night to night. Congratulations on a thoroughly enjoyable and highly professional show.

Reviewer – Stewart Adkins
NODA East, District 8

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