By Graham Hiley.
As Choir premiered at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre, the stage was plunged into darkness and silence before James Gillan suddenly launched into a powerful rendition of Queen’s Somebody to Love.
Swiftly he was backed by the rest of the Choir with varying degrees of success as the group of would-be music stars struggled for pitch and range and even to sing from the same song sheet.
Freddie Mercury would not so much be spinning in his grave as rolling around laughing as the hilarious opening set the tone for an evening of fun and mayhem.
Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s brand new musical play tells the story of a disparate and desperate collection of individuals who come together to sing as a hobby – not as a church choir but following the new trend of collaborating to sing modern chart hits.
Of course, all have their own backstories and personal issues carefully woven into the piece which tugs at the heartstrings as well as the vocal cords… or should that be chords?
They are largely stereotypes and the outcome is predictable as they rehearse for a concert to feature on BBC’s The One Show –but it is no less enjoyable for that as Choir hit all the right notes.
Bhatti’s skill comes in making the audience care deeply about these amateurs whose enthusiasm far outweighs their ability. And for all their insecurities and rivalries they bond together for what is an uplifting, hugely entertaining and very funny production.
There’s Paul (Gillan) the over-the-top gay who could have been a star and is the big name in the group – at least until the arrival of the hugely talented but nervous Freddie (Keenan Munn-Francis).
Meanwhile Ken (Timothy Speyer) has the audience rooting for him as he perfectly portrays a sad loner whose entire social life revolves around singing practice.
They are ably backed by Anna (Danusia Samal), Sheila (Annie Wensak) and Esther (Danielle Henry) all with their own troubles under the guidance of bossy, long-suffering and terribly enthusiastic choir mistress Morgan (Laura Checkley) who still has not got over her failure to make it big.
But probably the best performance comes from Alison Fitzjohn as Joy, the potty-mouthed, no-nonsense, domineering character who provides many of the laughs under the skilful direction of Hannah Joss.
There are some great one-liners – especially the jibe at Prince Andrew –as Bhatti blends humour and pathos into a heart-warming two-hour play with a catchy soundtrack.
Despite their differences and character flaws, the group care about each other every bit as much as the audience by the joyful finale when the cast get to prove they can actually sing after all.
Choir runs at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre until August 30. www.cft.org.uk.
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