REVIEW: 🎶”ONE NIGHTTTT WITH YOUUUU!!!!” 🎶 Apologies to the cats of Fairwater as this is all I’ve been singing since getting home from the opening night of “All Shook Up” by the Congress Youth Theatre.
This opening line from Elvis Presley’s 1958 release “One Night” was a punchline delivered by various cast members last night and the timing, with the use of spotlights, lighting and music on each occasion still makes me chuckle.
There was a clue on the far corner of the stage as we sat in our seats waiting for the curtain to go up. I spotted a table with a photo of Elvis in a frame next to a vase of daffodils and a Welsh flag.
This was Elvis, love and the Valleys right here in Cwmbran’s Congress Theatre.
Saxophonist
A few minutes in, a lone saxophonist came into the middle of the stage to play, and slowly slipped through the row of Valleys’ terraced houses (no USA-style Main Street needed) at the back of the set – and took his place in the orchestra. It was a reminder that once again the Congress Youth Theatre team was giving these young people the incredible experience of performing on stage accompanied by a ten-piece live band. Nice touch.
The tables and chairs used in the workingmen’s club (no 1960s milkshake diner needed) were Welsh dragon red. Da iawn!
The show was a masterclass in the use of storytelling through a fabulous script and songs from the “’king of rock ‘n’ roll.” I’ll never hear these Elvis songs in the same way. The “Hound Dog/ Teddy Bear” mash-up was brilliant and performed faultlessly by the cast and company with several incredible swaps and moves from one side of the stage to the other.
Elvis missed a trick there by not releasing that one himself.
I can’t imagine how many hours of rehearsals it took by these young people to just get that one section of the show spot on.
Lots of jokes
Every cast member had the chance to deliver some jokes that went down a storm with the audience. I’ve just scanned the list of names in the programme (scroll down to see them) to double-check that statement and yes, I remember all of them giving punchlines in and around the Elvis songs. They’ll be looking forward to being back on stage for tonight’s show to get that buzz again of hearing a live audience laugh.
The company who came on for “Devil in Disguise” as a funny nod to a Welsh God-fearing Puritan witch-hunting pulpit-preaching rabble who instead of waving pitchforks to chase someone out of their village had zimmer frames to shake in the air as they hobbled around the stage busting some bangin’ moves in anger against our hero, Chad, who had turned this Welsh town upside down just because of his love of rock ‘n’ roll…and women.
The choreographers behind that scene. Take a bow!
Each scene blended so naturally into the next with some slick distraction dance moves that saw the cast and company intertwined from scene to scene with set changes that gave little chance for them to take a break.
The wedding party
It built up to what we LOVE in Wales, a proper party!
The wedding scene at the end had it all. Lights, music, costumes, love, emotions and surprises, all backed up with over 25 young people who were there for a post-wedding tear-up.
The row of terrace houses parted to reveal the group of professional musicians for the first time (another nice musical touch) – leading to a big cheer from the audience as we saw them for the first time. Now we got to enjoy them performing as a live wedding band as the cast and company on the dance floor erupted into a party that we all wanted an invite to.
I thought about being the annoying wedding guest who shouts out “one more, one more! ” at the end of a good night but my appeals to the band wouldn’t have been heard over the applause from the audience around me – with many of them standing.
A little message to the costume team. If you have a spare pair of those ‘special’ Blue Suede Shoes in size eight used by the company during that “wow” scene in the pitch black please slide into my DMs. I want some!
Tickets
“All Shook Up” is on until Saturday 15 March. Doors open at 6.45pm and it starts at 7.15pm. Tickets £14 from the theatre’s website.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙩
Chad – Jacob Whitehead
Natalie/ Ed- Addison Hunter-Davies
Dennis – Billy Noyes
Miss Sandra – Chloe Morgan
Sylvia – May Phyllis Brunsdon
Jim – Nathaniel Bustin
Lorraine – Katie Panter
Dean – Harri Rhodes
Mayor Matilda – Eva Gibbs
Sheriff Earl – Harry Dowsell
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙮
Ruby Gregory
Grace Collins
Leyla Cagirgan
Elliot Burchley
Liam Carr
Aaron Wyper
Emily Fish
Oliver Chesse
Amy Powell
Annabel Jones
Ava Stratforrd-Davies
Lois Languerand
Alfie Matthews
Charlie Burton
Caitlyn Williams
Dylan Williams
Taya Rouf
Ruby Davies
Lily Waite
Finlay Dunn