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Flora the Red Menace.
- Scottish Premiere.
Book - David Thomson.
Score - John Kander.
Lyrics - Fred Ebb
Director - James Brining.
Designer - Karen Tennent.
Lighting Designer - Fleur Woolford /Richard Moffat
Musical Director - Jon Beales
Movement - Rita Henderson
Company - Dundee Rep
Theatre Company
Venue - Dundee Rep Theatre, Tay Square, Dundee. Box Office 01382
223530
2004 Tour Dates - Here.
Original Run was 9 - 25 October 2003 (not Sun or Mon )at 7:45pm also 18
Oct mat at 2:30pm
Run Time - 2 hrs 45 mins. One interval.
Reviewer - Jan Natanson.
Clever trick of seeming effortless.
This is the Scottish premier of Ebb & Kander's musical. More famous
for Cabaret and Chicago, Flora was their first musical collaboration and
is as masterful a piece of musical theatre as their later work.
Set during depression time America, the Flora of the title is a gutsy
, endearing and warm heroine who falls for the shy idealist Harry. It's
a case of love me, love my politics, and Flora becomes an unlikely communist
party member. When there is a clash between loyalty to party principles
and loyalty to friends, Flora does the right thing even if in doing so
she jeopardises Harry's love.
It is hard to fault this production. Good ensemble playing paints a vivid
picture of Depression era America and the idealism of that time, in an
affectionate portrait with echoes of Hollywood movies. The design and
costumes set an authentic thirties feel without being fussy and accents,
singing and pace never waver. The songs are witty, moving, funny and well
sung by the cast while the choreography of the dance sequences and the
general movement of the whole play adds to the rewarding production.
It is also very very funny. As well as great jokes, a great deal of physical
humour had the audience roaring with laughter. Richard Conlon as the stammering
idealist Harry is especially strong in an overall strong ensemble. Ann
Louise Ross as the man-eating party activist Charlotte is also a delight.
Emily Winter as Flora is excellent. In a show where so much of the plot
depends on our caring about the heroine , she pulls out all the stops
and also manages the clever trick of making it seem effortless. The audience
loved this show. Go and see it and you'll love it too.
© Jan Natanson 16 October 2003 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
.
Cast: Willy - David Stothard.
Flora Meszaros - Emily Winter.
Harry Toukarian - Richard Conlon.
Mr.Stanley - Mark Kane.
Maggie - Alison Connell.
Kenny - Chadd Garvie.
Elsa - Irene MacDougall.
Mr Weiss - John Buick.
Charlotte - Ann Louise Ross.
2004 Summer Tour Dates
Tour begins
1 - 5 June at King's Glasgow 0141 240 1111.
8 - 12 June at Edinburgh Royal Lyceum 0131 248 4949.
15 - 19 June at Dundee Rep Theatre 01382 223530.
22 - 26 June at Aberdeen HMT at Hilton 01224 641122 .
30 - 3 July at Inverness Eden Court Theatre 01463 234234.
Tour ends.
Theatre Editor, Thelma Good's e-mail is
thelma@edinburghguide.com
Although every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the
information presented in these pages, no responsibility can be accepted
for any errors or omissions.
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