ADVERTISE HERE

Thank you very much for inviting me to Croydon Stagers' production of Seussical – The Musical recently at the Ashcroft Theatre in the absence of your District Rep, Jeff Raggett. Thanks also to Dawn Lambert for making the necessary ticketing arrangements... Best wishes for your future productions – here’s to the next 101 years...

Short Report for the NODA London Magazine
Seussical is a multi-layered show which I believe will make its rounds through societies in years to come. It is a rollercoaster of a ride with lots of production numbers, which are all relatively short by comparison to most shows. Croydon Stagers provided a warm production which had the feel-good factor. Diction was difficult to understand at times whilst performers strove for performances but didn't detract from the overall spectacle. The set and costumes were great and all principals impressed in their individual roles.

This was the first trip for me to view a Croydon Stagers production, and it certainly won’t be my last. I have been to the Ashcroft Theatre, and whilst the foyer has the feel of a 1970’s cinema, there is no doubt it is a wonderful facility to perform in.

As mentioned in my short report, I felt the production was vibrant, colourful and pacy. Short numbers intertwined a touching but fun story and has all the ingredients of an excellent family musical. It was a true ensemble piece, and I can honestly say that everyone looked to be having a whale of a time. Facial expressions, voices, accents, costumes, jungle exploits, use of fly facilities, and a multi-layered set all added to a very strong production.

The action opened with the bright ‘Oh The Thinks You Can Think’, continued with the rock’n’roll number ‘Biggest Blame Fool’ through the breathtaking ‘It’s Possible’ and the haunting ‘Solla Sollew.' All performed with great skill. Diction was difficult at times as some individuals strove for characterisation over clarity, but this was a minor observation.

This production was most entertaining under the Direction of Gill Miller. Congratulations to Gill and her hard-working technical and creative team. I enjoyed Corin Miller’s choreography which was challenging and very easy on the eye. The excellent orchestra under the musical direction of Steven Geraghty treated us to this fantastic and uplifting score from the team that brought us Ragtime and Once on this Island. Strong choral harmonies were also in evidence. The set was well conceived and made full use of the playing space. The crew were anonymous and invisible, which is always a good sign. The lighting plot was effective and suitably moody. The sound balance was just right. The costumes, wigs, and accessories were excellent and added much colour. The wardrobe team did a great job.

I particularly liked your splendid souvenir programme. Loads of show information was accompanied by society background and information. Cast photos and biographies are very welcome too; it helps to assess relative experience of the performers and creative team. It was a pity to see that there was no significant mention of NODA within the programme (as this would give you a great chance of winning regional and national awards), and if you wished to include some information for future programmes, I would be happy to provide some suitable scribe.

As mentioned, this was a true ensemble production, and I have to mention the contribution from the kids, who were excellent. There were some strong performances amongst the principals, and I shall make a few comments on the main players in programme order:

The Cat in the Hat – Kevin Hayes – I have always been a bit scared of this particular cat, but Kevin allayed my fears with a dominant comical portrayal. Kevin came into his own in Act 2, especially after his very own variety show at the opening.

Boy/JoJo – Amy Hayes / Lucy Schofield – On the night, I attended Lucy gave a fine and engaging performance in the role. By all accounts, Amy gave an equally strong performance.

Horton – Stuart Norris – Stuart gave a lovely performance as the trusting Horton, and the audience took him to their hearts. The duet ‘Amayzing Horton’ with Mayzie was beautifully sung.

Gertrude – Natalie Cave – I liked Natalie’s perky and cute version of Gertrude. It was a very endearing and nicely judged performance in all facets: acting, singing, and dancing.

Mayzie – Vicky Terry – Not the easiest character to perform, but I thought Vicky was excellent. Vicky’s ‘ Amayzing Mayzie’ was suberb, and her vocals were never better than in the duet with Horton, namely ‘Amayzing Horton.’

Sour Kangaroo / Baby Roo – Amanda Miller / Macy Bird / Sidney Lopes – What a great team with Macy and Sidney sharing the role of Baby Roo in support of the fabulous Amanda as Sour Kangaroo. Amanda’s vocals in ‘Biggest Blame Fool’ were effortless.

The Wickershams – Serwah O’Neill / Sue Reader / Katie Wookey – these three stormed onto the stage like a hurricane and kept up the energy throughout. Excellent team.

There were significant contributions from other characters including the Bird Girls (Phoebe Dunster, Sarah Ioannou & Lindsay Smith), General Schmitz (Colin McGinnis), Mr & Mrs Mayor (Bill Woodland & Hayley North), Yertle (Ray Beaney), The Grinch (Mike Williamson), Vlad (Alexandra Neal), Pilberry Bush (Jenny Chadney), Cindy Lou (Eve Steere) and Juggler (Matthew Nichols). All performed highly satisfactory and added to the overall success of the show.

Director	Musical Director	Choreographer
Gill Miller	Steven Geraghty	Corin Miller
Wardrobe	Stage Manager	Lighting
Amanda Miller	Jade Tolfree	Ben Ruddock

The Cast

Principal Characters

• The Cat In The Hat, a mischievous cat who is the "narrator" of the story.
• Horton, a kind, gentle and loyal elephant who believes that "a person's a person, no matter how small."
• JoJo, an imaginative Who, the son of The Mayor and Mrs. Mayor, he often gets into trouble for thinking.
• Gertrude McFuzz, the loyal bird-neighbor of Horton, she loves him.
• Mayzie LaBird, a pompous and show-all bird who tells Gertrude to take pills so her tail will grow longer, forcing Horton to love her (Gertrude).
• Sour Kangaroo, the brash kangaroo who tells all that Horton is a fool for thinking there are people living on a dustspeck.
• The Mayor of Whoville, the Mayor of Whoville, the father of JoJo.
• Mrs. Mayor, The Mayor's wife, the mother of JoJo.
• General Genghis Khan Schmitz, the General of an army of cadets that The Mayor sends JoJo to.

Other Characters

• The Bird Girls, a type of Greek chorus of birds that are Mayzie's friends.
• The Wickersham Brothers, mischievous monkeys who steal Horton's clover from him.
• The Grinch, makes a small cameo in the song "Here On Who" as The Grinch.
• Judge Yertle the Turtle, makes a small cameo in the trial scene, as the judge.
• Vlad Vladikoff, a black-bottomed eagle who takes Horton's clover.
• Hunches, visual representations of Jojo's thoughts or hunches
• The Fish, the fish that Jojo imagines are in McElligot's Pool
• The Whos, all of the citizens of Whoville other than Jojo and Mr and Mrs.Mayor (ensemble)
• The Jungle Creatures, all of the creatures of the Jungle of Nool other than the principal cast (ensemble)

The Gallery