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By Rob Green

Having seen a poster for Dover Youth Theatre's Easter show at the excellent production of Boy Who Fell Into a Book, I decided to come over to Dover once again to see From Classic to Contemporary West End and Broadway.
 

It was hard to believe that the talented youngsters who took part in the show only had five days to learn their lines and rehearse for their performance - they were so polished and professional.

The opening and closing numbers, "Comedy Tonight" and "Rhythm of Life" were well chosen - the first put the audience in the mood for a great evening's entertainment, and the latter had everyone singing and clapping along at the end.

Highlights for me included the male members of the cast's "There is Nothing Like a Dame". This is such a well-known piece that it's difficult not to compare with the original, but the boys did themselves proud.

Still with the boys, 'Why, 'Cause I'm a Guy' was hilarious; and the four lads who sang it (Luke Breen, Steve Harwood-Brown, Theo McMenamin and Ben Steele) were absolutely the epitome of a set of "football-lovin', meat-eatin', jock-itchin', channel-flippin', belchin', burpin', scratchin', snoring'" guys. Classic.

Ben Steele's solo number, "I Love the Girl I'm Near" following straight on from his performance as Billy Liar, was delivered with confidence and humour and every inch the womanising lothario he was playing. I remembered him from The Boy Who Fell into a Book, and think he is definitely one of Dover's future stars.

"Your Timeless to Me" from Hairspray was fantastic - Luke Breen as Wilbur was excellent, but he was upstaged by Theo McMenamin as Edna. Most lads of his age and size would not be willing to don a long red dress and bright pink wig - but he did, and carried scene in classic comedic style. Another star in the making.

Of the girls' numbers, the best moments were Georgia Graham's and Charlotte McPhail's haunting rendition of 'Some Things are Meant to Be'. It was a tear-jerkingly beautiful and surprisingly mature presentation from these two youngsters.

Georgia's solo number "To Keep My Love Alive" was delivered with much self-assurance and wit - a very funny piece about a woman who murders her husbands to keep things fresh, and she managed to carry it off stylishly.

Megan Stevenson was fantastic as Mrs Lovett singing  "By The Sea" from Sweeney Todd. What a rich and powerful, yet beautiful voice she has - yet another star of the future, without a doubt.

The girls' presentation of "Anything Goes" was flawless, which contained some dazzling tap-dancing from five of them in particular. Another number everyone knows and compares to the original, but the girls' did it justice.

All in all a wonderful show, and Directors Marie Kelly-Thomas, Michael Thomas and Andrew Freisner certainly mined a rich vein of talent from these twenty-five youngsters. Dover should be very proud to have such gifted and artistic young people to entertain them.

Review by Rob Green
Eversley Way
Folkestone