Reviewed by Jo Murphy
Last night we went to the opening night of the community production of Bugsy Malone, celebrating 40 years of the film, at the Theatre Royal in Windsor. It is the first show at the newly decorated theatre, which has been refurbished to a good standard.
The cast of 34 children was fantastically put together and the music was performed by a live band. Owen Barkla played Bugsy Malone and for a 10-year-old boy had the confidence of a much older actor, and professional Chloe Stannage, who played Blousey Brown, had a fantastic voice, as did Araba Blankson who played the one and only Tallulah.
The story, set at Fat Sam’s in 1920s Chicago, had all the frills of the movie with plenty of splurge guns, custard pies and brilliant dancers. It is a battle between two rival gangs, who are led by Fat Sam and Dandy Dan. Bugsy Malone is a boxing promoter who falls for Fat Sam’s nightclub singer Blousey and becomes involved in helping Fat Sam get one over on his rival. The sets and costumes, I thought, looked fantastic and the cars looked straight out of 1920s America.
We really enjoyed the scenes where they held auditions for Fat Sam’s Grand Slam; it made everyone laugh and showed the talent that was on the stage. The spurge gun fights were also fun to watch. The children put on an outstanding performance and I’m sure the director, Carole Todd, was very proud of them all.
This show was perfect for the whole family and I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £13 (booking fees may apply).
Bugsy Malone is at the Theatre Royal in Windsor from 8-13 August 2017, for more information or to book tickets visit www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk or call the box office on 01753 853888.
Theatre Royal Windsor, Thames Street, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1PS | 01753 853888
