Anything Goes – Lichfield Operatic Society
Lichfield Garrick
Tuesday 8th April 2025
By : Nigel Gambles
Photography by : Studio 55 Photography
Lichfield Operatic Society have done themselves proud. Anything Goes, this year’s production of choice, is a superb showcase of rich talent and enduring passion. Overseen by the Director Patrick Jervis, the production is confident, powerful and brimming with enthusiasm and joy.
It is also packed classics: I Get a Kick Out of You; You’re the Top; It’s De-Lovely.
Set on an ocean liner the SS American, bound from New York to London, Anything Goes follows the madcap antics of those on board. Central is Billy Crocker, a charming young stowaway who has fallen in love with wealthy heiress Hope Harcourt (played by Ellie Johnstone), who is already engaged to an English aristocrat Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (played by Connor Brooks). Billy is played masterfully by Adam Gregory, while Charlotte Jervis effortlessly embodies Reno Sweeney, a nightclub singer who assists Billy in his bid to win Hope’s heart.
Ellie Johnstone provides an outstanding portrayal of Hope. Her acting is sensitive, congenial and expressive, providing her scenes with sophistication and warmth. Adam Gregorys’s rendition of Billy is rich with boyish charm and a strong sense of fun. His chemistry when on stage with Ellie or Charlotte is nothing short of magical. I will say now that all three of them could have been on a stage in the West End their performances so polished and realistic.
Ben Green is public enemy number 13 – Moonface Martin. He shows off his comic side and gives an easygoing, shoulder-rolling, soft-shoe-shuffling performance as low-league criminal Moonface Martin that reminds you what a pro he is. His duet with Charlotte Jervis on the song Friendship is a playful delight
Shannon Robinson is the sultry gangsters moll Erma Latour, who is having a ball playing the ships sailors off against one another for her hand in marriage, while also warning them that she is not easily pleased. Shannon is superb, her accent and sassy brashness just hitting the mark perfectly.
Also strong is Chris Stanley, playing the Ship’s Captain his performance is very assured. Theo Fryer, plays the Ship’s Purser, offering a comedic and charismatic performance. Don’t miss them at the start of the show before the curtains raised
The best songs and the biggest moments belong to Charlotte Jervis as Reno and she knocks them out the park her voice is amazing.
While the acting quality is compelling across the whole cast, this is a musical, and the musical facet of this production is exquisite thanks to musical director David Easto. The orchestra lays on melodious accompaniment throughout, which makes the actors’ and actresses’ performances shine all the more. Sound and lighting move in tandem with the onrushing of the plot, guiding the production from each set-piece scene to the next. The setting of an ocean liner is great in its design, owing to the diligent work of stage manager Martin Garfield and his back stage team
Perhaps most striking in this production is the use of dance, choreographed skilfully by Zoe Heathcote and Jody Edmunds. The hours of practice that have gone into some of the routines must have been huge and the quality, professionalism and passion shines through to the point where you will be exhausted just watching. The enthusiasm and enjoyment each cast member demonstrates is truly stirring, and you have to admire the whole company’s dedication. Each radiant scene glides into the next, moving with water’s easy tread and supple fluidity. The dancing scenes are elegant and subtle, yet profound – they are in their execution quite simply excellent.
