Me and My Girl

From the very opening bars of the overture, we were whisked back to the gentle times of the 1930’s and over the next two hours enjoyed the costumes and the comedy of the class divide.

This was Me And My Girl, not only the current musical show but the centenary production from MAOS, the Markinch Musical Society. This was a polished presentation with a full stage video wall from Artistic Solutions creating the scenes, clear and balanced sound from a huge cast managed by Apex Acoustic Sound Services and orchestral sounds of the period led by Kenny Latham, Musical Director for the ten-piece band.

Me And My Girl, sometimes known as ‘The Lambeth Walk’ musical, was a show they first performed in 2003. Set in the 1930’s with music from Noel Gay it opened at Victoria Palace Theatre in London’s West End and ran for three years. While keeping its 30’s appeal it was revived in 1984 by Stephen Fry and Mike Ockrent winning two Olivier Awards and ran for eight years. Opening on Broadway, the show won three Tony Awards, all helped by catchy songs like The Sun Has Got His hat On, Leaning On A Lamppost and of course Lambeth Walk which became an international dance hit of the day. The re-written revival really benefits the show for the modern era, and this was not lost on MAOS. Director Scott Melvin carefully used cast entering from the rear of the hall, managing complex scene changes with furniture moving on and off as well as injecting humour and slapstick often lost in these woke times. The brilliant characterisation of Gerald Bolingbroke, played by Logan Booth, butler Charles (Tom Kelman) or Parchester played by Andrew Butchart could have easily been cast in the Carry On film series. Parchester’s Family Solicitor song for one was an exquisite depiction.

The story surrounds Cockney Bill Snibson (Andrew Doig) hearing that he is the 14th heir to the Earl of Hareford and his culture class with the family which includes the opposition to his girl Sally played by Ashley Ferguson. Sally owns her solo songs Once You Lose Your Heart and Take It On The Chin, while Andrew as Bill never drops character throughout and warms the audience with the title song and later on with the familiar Leaning On A Lamppost. The cheeky chappie becomes lovable as he encounters the Duchess of Dene (Caroline Warburton) and Lord & Lady Battersby played in awesome style by Steve Pementil and Karen Skene. Credit to Janice Wilkie inside a suit of armour while Keith Breasley gets his own laughs too with his ear trumpet as Sir Jasper Tring before a talented ensemble, resplendent in colourful period costumes entertaining in song and dancing in that limited space with credit to choreographer Louise Andree Douglas-Mirza. When they all come together for The Sun Has Got His Hat On and of course The Lambeth Walk you don’t want it to end.

Me And My Girl runs until Saturday 28th March at Markinch Town Hall, remaining tickets from MAOS:

http://www.maos.org.uk/