Annie at The Theatre Concert Hall, Nottingham Review

Reviewed by Catherine Brown

Fans of ‘Annie’ will be excited to hear that the musical production is touring the UK and Ireland. Starring Craig Revel Horwood as Miss Hannigan the show is currently playing at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham.

Set in 1930s New York, Annie is an 11-year old girl trapped in an orphanage ran by the untrustworthy (and frequently drunk) Miss Hannigan. Annie and her friends aspire to escape the drudgery of their life and she clings onto the hope that eventually her missing parents will come looking for her. One day Annie’s luck changes when she is invited to the home of the wealthy Oliver Warbucks (Alex Bourne).

Not used to having children around, Mr Warbucks and his assistant Grace (Amelia Adams) soon fall in love with Annie and want to adopt her. However, Annie still has the locket her parents hung round her neck when she was left at the orphanage. With the help of President Roosevelt (David Burrows) and even the FBI the hunt is on to try and find them for her, a reward of 50,000 dollars an incentive for some unscrupulous couples.

The title role is shared by Zoe Akinyosade, Harlie Barthram and Poppy Cunningham. They are joined by three teams of young performers who play the residents of Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. I was particularly impressed by the young girl playing Molly who performed brilliantly for someone of such a young age.

Songs including ‘Easy Street’, ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘It’s a hard knock life’ were sung with drama and enthusiasm. I really enjoyed the tenderness between Grace and Annie. Craig Revel Horwood played a terrifying Miss Hannigan portraying well the lengths that some people will go to to get their happy ending. Paul French also shone as the devious Rooster.
Nikolai Foster is the director with lighting by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Richard Brooker, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charmin. The choreography by Nick Winston was fantastic, especially during a scene where the orphans swung presents around trapped between their feet. Set and costume designer Colin Richmond has created effective staging which gave an authentic feel to the depression of the era.

The Royal Concert Hall is a beautiful building in the heart of the city centre with stalls and two additional seating tiers all giving excellent views of the stage. There are plenty of public car parks nearby and a tram stop right outside. The staff were friendly and helpful and the facilities clean. Drinks and snacks were available to purchase and then take into the auditorium.

I loved the energy and drama created by the cast and found the whole performance fantastic. If you enjoyed the films, or even if you are new to ‘Annie’, this is definitely a show worth watching.

Annie is at the Royal Concert Hall, Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND from 12-17th June. Tickets start at £23.50 and can be bought from trch.co.uk or by calling the box office on 0115 989 5555

Rating: 5/5