The Sound of Music
★★★★☆ Exuberant
Broughton High School: Wed 9 – Sat 12 Apr 2025
Review by Hugh Simpson
Forth Children’s Theatre’s The Sound of Music at Broughton High School is a splendid night’s entertainment, well acted, beautifully sung and performed with the utmost commitment.
For almost everybody, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s 1959 musical (book by Howard Lindsey and Russel Crouse) has just always been there, and it certainly crops up in Edinburgh regularly; FCT have staged it twice in the past. The show is even more ubiquitous when you consider the 1965 movie, which most people know so well they can’t remember when they first saw it.
The nuns. Pic: Ric Brannan.
This means we rarely notice just how deeply odd its combination of a somewhat schmaltzy narrative with nuns and Nazis really is. The huge number of memorable songs, however, ensures it is always going to be a winner when performed by a cast as spirited and talented as it has here.
Director Aoife Summers has fashioned a wonderfully coherent production, perfectly paced and letting everyone shine. Jayne Orchard and Mirrin Macleay’s choreography dovetails tremendously well, and there is an enviable flow to everything – even down to the beautifully handled changes of Gavin MacLeay’s set.
notably well acted
Maria McDonald, as the sometime trainee nun Maria, holds everything together. This is a notably well acted Maria, well sung and holding the attention without any of the conspicuous staginess that can affect the role.
Harry Aspinall and Maria McDonald with the von Trapp children (Orla Harrison, Liam Urbancyk-Gusik, Bibi Coane, Oliver Freeman-Ferguson, Emma Swain, Lillie Paul and Keira Swain). Pic Ric Brannan
Harry Aspinall’s Captain von Trapp is very fine, with the character’s icy demeanour melting just enough at the right moments, particularly in his rendering of Edelweiss.
The Captain’s possible love interest Elsa Schrader (Jess Taylor) and impresario Max (Joseph Coane) are two roles that are more prominent in the stage version, with their songs cut from the film. Taylor gives the role real depth, while Coane’s assured clowning, to say nothing of his accomplished singing, adds greatly to proceedings.
played to perfection
Any production of The Sound of Music is going to rely to a large extent on the von Trapp children. A potential issue with younger casts is the similarity in age with all of the other performers, but this is never a problem here. This is partly because those playing adults are so good, and partly because the seven children are played to perfection.
Joseph Coane, Jess Taylor and Harry Aspinall. Pic: Ric Brannan
Orla Harrison, Liam Urbancyk-Gusik, Bibi Coane, Oliver Freeman-Ferguson, Emma Swain, Lillie Paul and Keira Swain are utterly believable individually and collectively, and it is in their appearances that the choreography is most effective.
Harrison is Liesl, the eldest von Trapp, and also impresses in her featured moments, notably in Sixteen Going On Seventeen, the duet with the telegram boy Rolf. Rolf is played by Sam Hunter with just the right degree of misguided and self-important enthusiasm.
something quite special
The various named nuns – Eve Houldcroft, Maia Baxter and Clodagh Macleay – are skilful at differentiating their characters. Elyssa Tait’s Mother Abbess, meanwhile, is something quite special; her performance of Climb Ev’ry Mountain at the close of Act I is simply astonishing in its tunefulness, emotion and the way it builds throughout.
The entire production, indeed, is notable for the way the songs are acted and integrated with the narrative, rather than just being belted out as can often be the case.
Sam Hunter and Orla Harrison. Pic: Ric Brannan
The other members of the featured cast – Eve Morrison, Catriona Steele, Lily Welsh, Lilyah Somalya and Molly Duncan – all invest their roles with the maximum of credibility, with Morrison’s housekeeper particularly impressive. The ensemble (Ayda Alcorn, Caitlin Crabbe, Emma Bradley, Evie Hudson, Juliette Enoch-Wambergue, Neve McClelland, Ninarosa Gunson-Milne and Pippa McNeil) are wonderfully well drilled, well choreographed and add greatly to proceedings.
Special mention must be made of Maisie Aitchison, who stepped into the role of butler Franz at the last minute and acquitted herself admirably.
accomplished
Musical director Jack Gardner leads a huge band with aplomb; there was the odd uncertain cue on the first night but musically the show is highly impressive.
This is helped greatly by Callum Farrell’s sound. Farrell’s lighting is similarly accomplished, even if it is a little full-on at times; the searchlight effect for the Nazis’ pursuit of the family loses some of its effectiveness when it is too similar to some of what has gone before.
The Sound of Music creative team: Mirrin Macleay, Aoife Summers, Jayne Orchard and Jack Gardner. Pic: Ric Brannan.
There are some odd directorial choices in what is otherwise impeccable. The speedy scene changes do mean that the time for costume changes is occasionally on the tight side. Some of the accents are a trifle exaggerated (and sometimes very different from the ones used in singing).
The use of the auditorium is creative but can be overdone; the impact of the title song is lost a little when the audience are all looking round trying to find out where Maria actually is, and there are other odd moments when characters threaten to disappear from the audience’s sight.
These are minor quibbles when the production as a whole has such momentum. It is easy to take the quality for granted when FCT are so consistent, but it is a remarkable feat to take such inexperienced performers and produce a show as accomplished and enjoyable as this.
Running time: Two hours 40 minutes (including one interval)
Broughton High School, 29 East Fettes Ave, EH4 1EG
Wednesday 9 – Saturday 12 April 2025
Daily at 7.00 pm; Matinee Sat 2.00 pm
Tickets and details: Book here.
FCT website: www.forthchildrenstheatre.org
Instagram: @forthchildrenstheatre
Facebook: @forthchildrenstheatre
The von Trapp children and Maria (Maria McDonald). Pic: Ric Brannan.
ENDS
