Review: Broadway favourite Sweet Charity gets top Talisman treatment in Kenilworth

'Sue Randall was marvellous as Charity' (photo: Robert Warner Photography)

Director Stephen Duckham marshalled a large and accomplished cast to deliver a top quality production of this well known musical. He kept this production taut and focussed with all the cast word and dance perfect.

Sue Randall was marvellous as Charity, on-note throughout in a very demanding role with dialogue, singing and dancing. She conveyed precisely Charity’s vulnerability and desperation, with naïve hopes of a better life, and more importantly, love. The chorus portrayed superbly the working girls in the Fandango Club, Charity’s friends, who were cynical and world weary.

Kevin Wing as Oscar, Charity’s beau and, ultimately, weak fiancé, had the right amount of straightness as a tax accountant and yet neurosis. Charity’s two best friends at the club, Nikkie (Chiara Castania) and Helene (Louise Woodward), deserve special mention for their overall performances and lovely duets, and perfect timing in a trio with Charity.

The choreography by Jane Hodgekiss was top drawer. She captured wonderfully the ‘60s dancing in the discotheque, with intermittent freezing of the cast as Charity was in conversation with film star Vittorio Vidal (Angelo Cardone), who gave a polished performance. Similarly the hippy era was precisely evoked in the Rhythm of Life Church and the eponymous song.

Brian Tuck’s set design was ingenious. Sometimes there were back projections of New York scenes. At other times, on an almost bare stage seemingly simple yet very clever props were used to convey the scene where Charity and Oscar were trapped firstly in the lift and then on the Ferris wheel, and the bar where the girls stood to entice customers.

The Talisman thoroughly deserves this third sell out production in a row. It is a pity there are not longer runs for some of these especially popular productions.

Sweet Charity runs until Saturday October 7. Visit talismantheatre.co.uk or call 0333 666 3366 for more information about the show and future productions at the venue.