CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

There’s always something exciting about seeing a musical for the first time. There’s equally something worrying about seeing a musical that has failed on both sides of the Atlantic, especially one written by a creator riding on the success of a show that was not only an immediate hit but has subsequently gone on and on wowing audiences. Given all this I took the trouble to listen to a cast recording before taking my seat… and I am rather glad that I did so. It laid the foundations for me understanding exactly what I was about to see. I had seen, and enjoyed, the film, but I was unsure how it would translate to a stage musical. I needed not to worry, the telling of the extraordinary life of Frank Abignale, with him talking directly to the audience works so very well with that classic “let’s put on a show” vibe. Secondly the sense of time and place is so effectively displayed in musical numbers that borrow massively from the music of the sixties. They teeter on the very edge of pastiche but manage to retain their own integrity and they do it with charm and style.

All this would be as nothing were it not in the hands of an excellent team. I’d seen the students of The Brighton Academy, one of our local drama schools, before, and been very impressed and once again I left with a smile on my face, this was first class in every respect, not just looking at it as a student production but comparing it to so many professional companies.

Of course this production benefits from being able to have a massive cast, a huge chorus to direct and choreograph and my how Emma Green has challenged them with some very exacting, and effective routines. This is dance at its most exciting and the company pull it off with style and energy. The same can be said for the quality of the ensemble singing and MD Griff Johnson must be singled out for achieving a period feel to the vocal styling. As the song says, It Don’t Mean A Thing If It ‘Aint Got That Swing, (doo wop doo wop) and the cast, all too old to remember the genre, certainly have got that swing.

Which brings me to the principals. There is so much to say about the FBI men, so much beautifully crafted and delivered comedy that you can see bright futures for each and every one. Elijah Joseph Chapman’s rich tones and sense of gravitas make Frank Senior so very believable and Lois Cole’s Paula is a sophisticated rendering of this flawed GI bride. Musical highlight of act II if not the whole show has to be Fly Fly Away as Brenda finally realises that Frank is simply to much for her to handle.

The core of the show is of course centred on Frank Abignale and Carl Hanratty, the FBI man determined to catch this illusive fraudster and con man. Elijah Blundell as Frank has so much innocent charm that it is totally believable that everyone falls for him and falls for his tricks. This young performer has a real energy on stage and a voice to match, really bringing Abignale to life.

Josh Pretty’s Hanratty is truly exceptional, capturing the sense of determination and repeated failures with a maturity that belies his real age. He also has a real sense of comedy, staying in character throughout even when delivering a song. It’s a skill that few master.

The whole show is delivered with pace and conviction, designed by Paul Tilbrook, lit beautifully by Joe Wailes, that moment with boy Frank watching TV is a gem, and directed with clarity and instilled with energy by director Stewart Dawes.  All this on the stage of the beautifully designed, managed and run Cairns Theatre in the grounds of Brighton College. When you see the stars given below, believe me when I say that each and every one is well deserved. This production could tour if only touring generated the money to support a cast of this size and talent.

Andrew Kay

31 October

The Brighton Academy at The Cairns Theatre

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