STAINES LIGHT OPERATIC SOCIETY 'MACK AND MABEL - MARCH 2001

'Mack and Mabel' has been much talked about but not seen in the U.K.
for most of the 25 years or more since it first appeared on Broadway.
The music of course became very well known because of Torvill & Dean,
and the main songs have become popular as concert and revue numbers.
Just a passing thought: back in the 1950's, 'My Fair Lady' opened on
Broadway and had a very long run there before opening at Drury Lane -
and for all of that time (two years or more) there was a total ban on
playing the music in the U.K. No records, no broadcasts, no scores, no
sheet music!  With the coming of satellite and the intemet, there is
no way that such a ban could be enforced now!

Even after the professional introduction of 'Mack and Mabel' to the
U.K. in 1995, we have had to wait quite a while for it to become
available on general release for amateur performance.  But now it can
be performed, and this SLOS production was my first opportunity to
become acquainted with it.  And well worth the wait!  It is a good
show, and I am sure it is going to become popular on the amateur
circuit.

Having now seen the show, my first impression is that it is quite
challenging to stage, and I wonder what doubts and worries you had as
you worked through the rehearsal and preparation process.  It must be
slick, and continuity is all-important - anything less that near-
perfection in these areas could spell total disaster.  But you met the
challenges posed, and this was a fine production - a great success.

As you say in your programme, this marked Steve Macvicar's directorial
debut - and I think most aspiring Directors choose something a little
safer on which to 'cut their teeth'.  And, what's more, to play a
significant part in the show, too!  But all was well, and Steve
deserves much credit for a production that never flagged and had
tremendous stage interest.

Dance is a major element of this show, and Lynne James's choreographic
skills were much in evidence.  In particular, the two big production
sequences, 'Hundreds of Girls'and 'Tap Your Troubles Away' were
splendid.  Andy Jarvis stepped in to choreograph the 'Kops and
Robbers' sequence, which came over well - great fun to watch, as I'm
sure it was to rehearse!

The musical element of this show is demanding, too - not only the main
musical numbers, but also a lot of tricky continuity work.  Rachel
Keegan had firm control of the whole musical side of things - the on-
stage performers were well-trained, the small orchestra was well-
balanced and seemed to me to be just right, and I am sure that by the
end of the week Rachel was experiencing more excitement than fear at
wielding the baton!

Naturally, much of the responsibility for the final success of the
show fails on the shoulders of the two performers taking the lead
roles of Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand, and in this regard Bernard
Bransfield and Sally Lewis served you well.  Bernard gave a strong
compelling performance throughout, the pace never flagging, and always
dominating the action - and Mabel!  Just one thought - Mack was put
over as being very intense and almost entirely humourless, and I
wonder whether he was in fact so. I expect you have done your
research, and that this is how the man really was; if so it is
certainly surprising that someone whose whole aim was to 'make the
world laugh' was himself so lacking in humour.

Sally was a delight as Mabel - a perfect foil for Mack, always bubbly,
putting over the 'dumb star' well, and maintaining the accent and
pitch of voice quite remarkably.  The programme implies that this is
Sally's biggest role to date - if so, undoubtedly the first of many!

The other named roles all revolve round these two main characters, and
involve much teamwork.  In this review, I am going to 'cop out' by not
mentioning each one individually, but say that each one played their
part admirably.  There was a lot of good acting going on, and many
individual touches of inspiration.

There is a lot of chorus and general group work in this show - some of
it quite frenetic! and everyone worked well together to make the whole
show 'gel'.  A great team effort!

The show was generally well dressed, and since I know that you
'create' most of the costumes yourselves, your wardrobe team did a
fine job.  Several of the principal costumes were, I know, hired, and
these were mostly satisfactory - just a comment that a close-fitting
costume worn by Mabel in one of the early scenes was not ideal.  The
costumes for the two big dance routines were magnificent, and all the
other costumes were mostly appropriate and in period.  Make-up, wigs
and hairstyles were all fine,too.

Moving on to the whole area of technical stage presentation.  Once
again you excelled in your 'home-grown' set design and construction -
a tremendous effort by all of you, and very successful.  Lighting,
too, was complex and was well plotted and executed - maybe in places a
little more light was needed.  Sound was well balanced, and the video
sequences worked well - another technical challenge to meet!   I note
that on this occasion you hired many of the props - in this case no
doubt a wise decision.

Your Front-of-House arrangements worked with their usual efficiency,
with John Tranter there as always to give everyone a good welcome.
You are of course fortunate to have such generous reception facilities
- it helps a lot to be able to generate this 'feel-good' factor as the
audience arrive and during the interval.  A well presented,
interesting and comprehensive programme, too.

We greatly enjoyed meeting Mack and Mabel for the first time.  A good
show, and an excellent production of it by SLOS.  We shall certainly
be seeing more of you during the summer, both for your Summer Revue
and the NODA Day in July, and I shall be interested to hear your
choice of show for next year.

Jim F. Hatley NODA Regional Representative