Willoughby Theatre Co: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Review by Daniel Conway
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is such a fun show. This fact takes me by surprise every time I see it. I have seen this show a handful of times now and without fail I walk in thinking, I remember I liked this. What I never remember is just how much I like it. How irreverent, how silly, how dynamic a show it is. The team behind Willoughby Theatre Co's production have put together something truly special and will be the reason I won't soon forget how great this show is.
Courtney Bell's vision for the Bee is clear in every aspect of the staging: Chaos and Joy. While the set, designed by Veronika Young, does not have the grandiose flair that I have come to expect from WTC, there is an undeniable charm in the more restrained design, which fits the Lounge Theatre, an intimate venue. Greg Larielle-Jones's work with the cast as Musical Director was evident. The ensemble were so tight and were doing some engaging character work in their vocals. Hats off to Lilly Moody for the fabulous costumes, which really set the tone and established who the characters were before they even spoke. While not known for its dance numbers, choreographer Dimitrios Antoni made the chaos ordered, giving the actors space to be their characters in the movement totally, which gave an organic feel to the already heightened scene. I am not sure whose idea it was to include tap dancing to keep the beat of a metronome, but it was an inspired choice.
Spelling Bee is an ensemble piece. Each performer gets to have their chance to shine on the stage, and every iteration I have seen has limited the cast to the core roles. WTC's choice to have a larger ensemble was brilliant; not only did it give more depth to the vocals, but the ensemble were also responsible for a lot of movement of props, making larger set pieces happen.
The core ensemble were all fantastic. Truly, each and every one made me smile and laugh, sometimes so much I literally slapped my knee — particularly Luke Davis as Vice Principal Panch, whose ad-libbing and comedic timing were impeccable. Melanie Sestic as his offsider, Rona Lisa Peretti, was warm and often played the straight man in the comedic duo; however, it was when she sang that she got to shine brightest. Jordan Fuller is delightfully strange as Mitch Mahoney; the character makes no sense but fits into this chaotic world seamlessly.
Tim Drummond is a comedic force with a beautiful voice. I have seen Tim in a number of shows and I am always impressed by how committed he is to physical comedy. I am also no stranger to seeing Daniella Delfin, who is perfect as Marcy Park. Daniella has a confidence and deadpan delivery that creates a nice contrast when Marcy lets loose. Tom Horlin worked the crowd like it was no one's business. Allowing him to engage with the audience that much was a smart move, because he is just so entertaining. Mo Lovegrove as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre was a standout. They gave the right level of manic perfectionist energy whilst also playing it sweet and childlike, all while on roller skates. Ruby Crothers was charming and sweet as Olive Ostrovsky. Playing the least outlandish character, with the wounded energy of a lonely child, Ruby was easy to root for and had brilliant rapport with Andrew Read as William Barfée. Andrew took on the most iconic member of this group excellently, balancing the overtly gross characterisation with the sweet kid underneath all of the bravado.
One of the most dynamic parts of this show is inviting random people on stage to be the guest spellers, and I almost felt sorry for the cast on opening night. How on earth were they meant not to be upstaged by Australian TV icon Lynne McGranger? The guest spellers were all great sports and got right into the performance. The beauty is that their reactions are genuine; they get to add flavour and dimension to the performance, and it means that no two shows are ever exactly alike.
WTC have once again proven why they are one of the best theatre companies in Sydney. All without the big production of the main stage, but with raw talent, clever staging and the perfect choice of show for an excellent venue.
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