Beccy Tarling and daughters Megan and Amy enjoy Annie at the Theatre Royal, Bath
From the minute the lights dimmed, we were all spellbound by this polished production of Annie, presented by the Bath Light Operatic Group at the Theatre Royal. Even the sackful of Halloween sweets that they had brought with them wasn’t enough to distract my two ten-year-olds, who were awestruck at the sight of children their age, and younger, performing on such a big stage with such confidence.
The show sticks faithfully to the story that we all love, following Annie’s journey from the clutches of hard-hearted Miss Hannigan in the orphanage to happiness with her billionaire saviour Daddy Warbucks, with a few adventures along the way and a general uplifting of hearts. Clementine Gallen, who played Annie the night we went, was superb right from the start and was brilliantly supported by her fellow child actors, particularly tiny Maggie Christmas who played Molly.
We all loved Miss Hannigan, played by Rebecca Henderson, who is a mother and school teacher by day but plays a very entertaining and wicked Miss Hannigan by night. Indeed the whole cast were note-perfect, including the wonderful orchestra who accompanied the show, although Sandy the dog might have ad libbed a bit. Certainly during Annie’s big number, ‘Tomorrow’, there was a danger of him stealing the scene as he wagged his way around the stage and then refused to leave on cue much to the hilarity of the audience, adults and children alike.
All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening which reminded me how special and rewarding a visit to the theatre can be.
The Bath Light Operatic Group’s production of Annie runs at the Theatre Royal Bath from 1-5 November. Tickets are available at the Theatre Royal Box Office on 01225 448844 www.theatreroyal.org.uk