Anything Goes

Anything Goes at Markinch (4 stars)

With almost 100 years of performances the Markinch Amateur Operatic Society (MAOS) have turned the old town hall into the SS American for their 2025 production of Anything Goes the musical.

Originally from 1934 when P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton collaborated to write the book, it became a musical in several forms after being adapted with new music & lyrics from the unsurpassable Cole Porter.  The several versions on Broadway and on tour have dropped or added songs and I was delighted to see it was the 1962 version that was adopted by Director Nigel Orkney for the five shows this week.

It brings back an elegance of sea travel from New York to England where glamour, dance and a walk on deck was the entertainment unlike the bingo and art sales of today. 

MAOS have embraced this and constantly in the background the ensemble will add colour to the scene as they promenade with intent.  None more so than Ching & Ling, two oriental ladies played by Julie Stirling and Kenna Orkney as they fleece the other passengers until they are caught and end up in the ship’s jail.

One of the original collaborators in the 1930’s was Broadway superstar Ethel Merman.  She had a big voice and could fill a theatre and she opened the original production in the role of Reno Sweeney,  For MAOS we see the talented Ann-Marie Miller who excelled in last years (MAOS) production of The Producers on this stage  and starred in a sold out Fringe run playing teen star Helen Shapiro.  Ann-Marie gets the big songs here with the title song, Frank Sinatra’s I Get A Kick Out Of You and Take Me Back To Manhattan, the latter with the 4 Angels played by Clare Johnstone, Shonagh Black, Ashley Ferguson and Sam Clarke.  The ladies are resplendent together in costume and style and have sisterly chemistry on stage. 

Ann-Marie channels Ethel Merman though for Blow, Gabrielle Blow, a powerful and flawless performance in vocal dexterity. 

She plays Reno, a nightclub singer and on stage has many costume changes all with the style and sophistication of the age.  She befriends the stowaway Billy Crocker (Michael McLean) who is the centre of the story as he tries to win over Hope Harcourt (Brogan Orkney) who is engaged to Sir Evelyn Oakleigh played comically by Logan Booth. Facilitating the plot is Moonface Martin (Craig Spence) who becomes the character with some funny moments and is accompanied by Bonnie (Brodi Orkney), who herself has some big numbers delivered with authenticity like Heaven Hop and Let’s Step Out with full orchestral accompaniment. 

Gillian Haycock is the Musical Director of the seven-piece orchestra playing live but unseen at the rear of the stage.  When the full company joins in for songs like You’re The Top, the movement is impressive thanks to the choreography from Carol Sinclair, who even gets some tap dancing into the mix in this real feel-good show.

Anything Goes runs until March 22, nightly at 7:15pm, tickets from the company or Ticketsource.co.uk