G is my favourite row at the Congress Theatre. Not too close, not too far. Perfect.
Last Monday week I sat in what I would call row A+++++. I accepted an invite from the Congress Youth Theatre to watch their rehearsals for their upcoming show, ‘All Shook Up’, a fun-filled musical featuring the songs of Elvis Presley.
My ‘seat’ wasn’t in the main theatre, but in the bar area where several times a week around 30 young people aged from 14-19 are spending so much time getting ready for the four-night run starting on Wednesday 12 March and with the last show on Saturday 15 March.
This crowd-pleasing musical is inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley.
Across the floor were numbered markings on tape to help the cast get their spots right as they sing, dance, walk and sometimes run to different positions. My spot saw my feet inches away from the tape where at various times the cast were (I always use this word carefully) literally ‘in my face’.
On the left of me was Wayne Beecham, musical director, on the piano. The cast will be supported by Wayne and a further nine musicians. It’s a huge investment to give these young people an incredible West End experience of performing with this level of professionalism. No pre-recorded backing tracks. Top-class musicians will bring heir skills to this stage in Cwmbran.
In the middle was Rachel Hamilton, show director. Throughout the session, her role was a mix of watching, listening, pointing, suggesting, changing, talking, applauding, and just encouraging the cast during each set.
On the right of me was the stage manager, who didn’t stop updating the hundreds of pages of notes in front of her with new stage movements, how the set would change while listening to instructions from Rachel at the same as running on and off the ‘stage’ to show and tell cast members how to arrive and leave the stage- it was a masterclass in multi-tasking.
Wayne told me rehearsals are a “work in progress” because until you have the number of people moving around the space, you’re not sure how things will work out- so working with Rachel and the stage manager, each scene is improved and changed with every session.
She told me: “It’s a dynamic show, lot of energy, lot of pace. They [the young cast] are loving it. There is a little bit of twist in that people might see, we’ve set it local, when it’s actually set in mid-America so it’s a bit more recognisable.
“It’s going to have a good vibe to it. I think people need cheering up. It’s live music, so much is done with backing tapes now. These kids are singing, they are acting, they are dancing, all three disciplines.
“These are local kids. Young people don’t have a great image but these kids are disciplined. They turn up, they work really hard. They put their time into it as well as everything that they’ve got to do in school. And it’s also a mobile phone-free zone so there is the social aspect as well.”
Wayne said: “We’ll have a live ten-piece band. Once all that comes together and we’ve had a couple of run-throughs together it’ll be absolutely electric I think.”
Rachel told me that the Congress Youth Theatre was set up 32 years ago to help local young people “who would not ordinarily go on stage”. I’ve been lucky enough to see at least half a dozen shows over the years. Every performance has seen me leave the auditorium and walk down the stairs with a smile..
I’m a people watcher and love loitering in the foyer and watching cast members come from backstage to meet their mates and relatives. You can see first-hand what they get from doing what they love and the many added benefits it brings to their lives.
Buy tickets for ‘All Shook Up’
Buy tickets from the Congress Theatre’s website.