Review: The Sound of Music (UK Tour)

The Sound of Music (UK Tour)

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

Reviewed on Thursday 19th May 2016
★★★★

You can never go wrong with The Sound of Music - it's heartwarming, joyful and can even make you feel a tiny bit Christmassy in May. 

Martin Connor's touring production, produced by Bill Kenwright, ticks all the right boxes. Gary McCann's design glides from scene to scene whilst the orchestrations sound as glorious as ever. There's some fun choreography from Bill Deamer and the new cast are doing a fantastic job in their first few weeks.

Marking her first ever major musical theatre role, Lucy O'Byrne - who appeared on The Voice UK in 2015 - excels as Maria. I was very impressed by her performance. O'Byrne tackles the grueling role superbly, and her vocals are excellent. 

Jan Hartley continues to shine as Mother Abbess, with her rendition of 'Climb Every Mountain' truly making its mark. It's great to see Andrew Lancel taking on a musical, starring as Captain Von Trapp; his chemistry with O'Byrne could be stronger, but I'm sure this will develop as the tour continues. 

Elsewhere there are strong performances from Duncan Smith, Lucy Van Gasse, Kane Verrall and Annie Horn whilst the young actors who play The von Trapp children are of course adorable and very impressive.

It's rare to watch a musical where almost everyone in the audience knows all the words to every single song. Rodgers and Hammerstein's score features iconic number after iconic number; it really is quite remarkable - there are always several people who can't help but hum along.

Whether you want to relive your childhood or introduce the next generation to a timeless classic, The Sound of Music provides a blissful night out.

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

The Sound of Music tours the UK until 22nd October 2016. Visit www.kenwright.com for further information, tour dates and tickets. To find out what's coming soon to the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, visit www.atgtickets.com.