Watford Observer

Kings Langley Players' Aladdin at the Community Centre****

5:13pm Monday 18th January 2010

A warning for the women of Kings Langley: Lock up your husbands, there's a Pantomime Dame in town.

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Princess Ida at Watford Palace Theatre***

5:10pm Monday 18th January 2010

Among the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan, Princess Ida makes special demands. It is based on Tennyson’s poem The Princess, written in 1847, which was greatly admired in the 19th Century, but is wearisome today. Uniquely, following Tennyson, Gilbert wrote in blank verse. But amateur operatic singers are not all necessarily skilled blank verse speakers.

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English Classical Players at Watford Colosseum****

12:06pm Monday 11th January 2010

An almost all-Mozart programme attracted a large and attentive audience to the Colosseum for this, the last concert of the 2009 season by the English Classical Players, conducted by Jonanthan Brett. The works were played in the order of their composition. An ingenious opening choice was Mozart’s Divertimento in D major, an early work. It is a deceptively simple example of Mozart’s style, in which lively and polished playing fully justified its lasting popularity.

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Iolanthe at The Radlett Centre***

1:50pm Monday 30th November 2009

One of the favourites in the G&S canon, Iolanthe has long charmed audiences with its ridiculous yet comically enchanting tale of crafty fairies pitting their wits against a band of cerebrally challenged peers.

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There Came A Gypsy Riding at The Pump House Theatre*****

9:57am Wednesday 25th November 2009

Bouncing back from a cancelled show (Wait Until Dark), The Pump House Theatre Company has gone on to greater things with a fine performance of Frank McGuinness’ wildly humourous and deeply affecting Irish drama, There Came A Gypsy Riding, admirably directed by Anne Hornsby.

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Purcell School Symphony Orchestra at Watford Colosseum****

10:10am Wednesday 25th November 2009

The overture Helios, written in 1903 by the Danish composer CA Nielsen, was a novel choice to open this concert by the Purcell School Symphony Orchestra. But as Jonathan Brett, on behalf of Watford Musical Heritage, said in a short opening address, this Bushey school is for brilliant young musicians; every department of the orchestra made a good start under the clear baton of Edward Longstaff, Assistant Director of Music at the School.

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The Music Man at Watford Palace Theatre*****

9:59am Wednesday 25th November 2009

A diamond anniversary deserves a sparkling performance and Cassio Operatic delivered one with aplomb at an extremely well-attended (despite the rain-sodden conditions) matinee show last Saturday.

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Sweet Charity at The Watersmeet***

9:44am Wednesday 25th November 2009

Immortalised by Shirley MacLaine and boasting famous tunes including Hey Big Spender and If My Friends Could See Me Now, Sweet Charity charts the problematic love life of naive New Yorker, Charity Hope Valentine. The show’s vibrant ‘60s backdrop, lively musical score and engaging characters, have the potential to be a winning formula. Unfortunately, Sweet Charity suffers from too many extraneous songs and scenes ensuring that however good the performers are, it can feel like something of a test of endurance. Despite the piece’s shortcomings, Ricky Players made a decent attempt to counter the autumn gloom with their colourful production.

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Thomas Trotter organ concert at Watford Colosseum*****

1:59pm Wednesday 11th November 2009

In the musical life of England, the town halls of the northern industrial centres (especially their organs) play an important part. Thomas Trotter, organist of Birmingham Town Hall, in his well-attended organ recital on Sunday afternoon, maintained Watford's place in that musical league - though our town is in the Home Counties and not quite so large!

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