Wolverhampton alive with the Sound of Music as hit show comes to Grand Theatre - review

Of course, all the best musicals are based on true stories and this one is no exception, although both the movie and stage adaptations are definitely a romanticised version of the real events.

Postulant Maria finds herself at the mercy of seven unruly children when she takes up a post as their governess, in order to help her to make up her mind if life inside the walls of a convent is what she really wants.

What she had not bargained for was her feelings for their father and her need to be part of a family, which soon result in her questioning her faith.

I have to confess to having a completely different picture in my mind to that of Julie Andrews’s portrayal of the young Maria and I know the rest of the world will hate me for saying it, but she simply isn’t one of ‘my favourite things’.

So, I was hoping for a different portrayal of the leading role and to a certain extent I was lucky.

Finalist from the hit BBC TV series Over the Rainbow, Emilie Fleming was in fine voice as Maria, with crystal clear vocals and the power to fill the entire theatre, while Andrew Lancel as Captain Von Trapp matched her vocally, but was a slow burner dramatically for me. However, I warmed to him as the show progressed.

There were some entertaining cameos by Zoe Ann Brown and Georgina Hagan as Sister Margaretta and Sister Berthe and their trio with Megan Llewellyn as Mother Abbess - How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? - was just one of the highlights of Act One.

Another favourite moment was the delightful duet between Michael Anderson as Rolf and Nicole Farrar as Liesl, the couple who are Sixteen going on Seventeen, with not only tuneful singing but also Bill Deamer’s inventive and unusual choreography which perfectly showcased their dancing skills. Anderson in particular shone.

The stars of the show were naturally the Von Trapp children - a band of seven who simply sailed through their numbers with all the energy and gusto required for stomping across the Austrian mountains, but also reduced you to tears with their harmonies in Edelweiss and the title song.

Their precise execution of the military style choreography meant that every step was in time and every head movement and arm swing blended perfectly together.

It would be unfair to choose between these youngsters’ excellent performances, as they all displayed confidence and sharp delivery of their lines, but I have to admit that the tiny mite who played Gretel gave my favourite performance of the whole show. Oozing personality, she gave the adult cast a run for their money, despite her tender years.

The threat of invasion and the foreboding atmosphere of the war aside, the script of The Sound of Music is actually quite amusing in parts and Howard Samuels as Max Detweiler with his experienced delivery of the comedic lines and physical humour ensured the lighter moments were exploited to the full.

At his side was Irish TV star Clelia Murphy as Elsa Schrader, whose comedic and rather ungainly approach to this character, who is usually portrayed as elegant lady, was interesting.

Together they did an excellent job of delivering the two somewhat dull songs which were omitted from the movie - How Can Love Survive? and No Way to Stop It - with wit and flair.

Other highlights of the show were the nuns’ renditions of Preludium and Confitemini Domino, both of which send shivers down your spine.

The voices of this talented supporting cast blended perfectly together to create a spiritual, other-worldly atmosphere, rising to a stunning crescendo which brought tears to the eye.

The score of the show is probably one of the best-known in musical theatre and I could certainly hear impromptu performances of Do-Re-Mi and The Lonely Goatherd all around me as the audience relished the chance to join in.

Normally it’s the finale which remains upmost in the minds of an audience, but in this case the greatest highlight of the whole production was the end of act one, Climb Every Mountain, with which Megan Llewellyn brought the house down.

The song itself is a mountain to climb with an especially high last note to contend with, but it also requires total control and expertise, as well as the ability to portray the sentiment and inspiration the piece demands and it was executed to perfection.

To recreate the stunning Austrian landscape, a lavish country home of the Von Trapp family and in complete contrast, the calm, ecclesiastical interior of the Abbey successful requires exceptional creative skills and a superb lighting plot, both of which this production had in spades, courtesy of Gary McCann and Nick Richings.

And last but by no means least, a special mention must go to Musical Director Jeremy Wootton and his orchestra who delivered the timeless, soaring score of The Sound of Music effortlessly, with spine-tingling results which left you spinning, like Maria, all the way home.

Runs until Saturday. For tickets, visit www.grandtheatre.co.uk or call 01902 429212.