Company is a musical that seems to be currently overlooked when Stephen Sondheim is mentioned in conversation. It analyses love and life in such a way that we, along with the main character Robert, or Bobby to his company of friends (played by the quiet, yet enigmatic Aaron Coomer), discover what it all really means universally. It doesn’t have a difficult storyline, but the themes explored are interesting in the sense of what love and marriage mean to various individuals in Robert’s life.
Company – NJW PhotographyBrighton and Hove Operatic Society (BHOS) have taken Company to a level where it was engaging and easy to enjoy, yet wasn’t afraid to challenge the concept of love in an interesting and fun way using a small studio space, with a very detailed set which is kept the same throughout, but the different scenes are depicted with various projections on a screen that change smoothly with each transition.
The choreography and singing, respectively, were extremely well put together and performed to suit the space in question. With a musical like this, it can be extremely easy to get carried away with big performances and routines. However, under the direction of Dance Captain Natasha Wynn and Musical Director Jonathon Neale, it was clear that each movement and vocal usage was well managed within the space they all had and all worked well together.
I will say that when it came to the acting side of things, whilst all cast were strong performers and portrayed their roles with such passion for their craft, most of the vocals were too quiet even with head mics on. It can be difficult to get the balance right for the voice levels in the sense of when to project and when to make it more intimate.
Likewise, it is also very easy to fall into the trap of going too quiet when trying to create those intimate moments. Sadly, the majority of the cast fell into the latter category. At the time of writing, this was opening night, and they were also up against some sound issues with the mics and sometimes the music drowning them out, so I am bearing this in mind as I write this. The cast as a whole need to trust the power of their voice and not swallow their words.
A lot of the characters have great insights that are also extremely farcical, such as Amy (Katharine Johnson-Miller) and Paul (Philip Lloyd-Davies), who have the most intense relationship out of all the couples as they prepare to marry. Amy and Paul have such a fun, zany relationship as they explore anxious and supportive partnerships that are bound by fate. They brought colour and dynamic energy to this coupling and were certainly exciting to watch.
Other highlights included Charlotte Moroney’s feisty Joanna, who gave a charming and relatable rendition of ‘The Ladies Who Lunch’. Moroney gave this classic song great vibrancy as she parodied the problem of being in a transitional age where you are ‘too young for the old, yet too old for the young crowd’ and brought a clear personal journey to the song. Coomer also gave a good rendition of ‘Being Alive’ as he slowly came to realise the meaning of all relationships around him. Getting older can be hard, and one can question his character Robert’s views as he turns 35 in Company. However, the way Coomer explores the sensitive subject of life being too short and questioning whether you have done the right thing leading up to the present time was extremely well handled and for his first time performing with BHOS, he did a very good job at handling a character who is old before his time.
Credit also needs to go to Maya Kilhara (Marta) and Grace Riach (April), who really shone in their respective roles as two of Robert’s lovers. Kilhara’s rendition of ‘Another Hundred People’ was one that was engaging and captured the spirit of the free woman who wasn’t afraid to be authentically herself. As for Riach, her April was delightfully quirky and charming, with the right amount of vulnerability as she slowly became attracted to Robert.
Company is a tough musical to stage, but BHOS made an intimate space feel big with all the care and love clearly shown with everyone involved. This is what community theatre is about. Bringing the power of life and love to an audience who appreciates ‘Being Alive’.
Review by
Sascha Cooper
Set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City, we follow the charming but perpetually single Robert on the night of his 35th birthday. Surrounded by a kaleidoscope of married friends, “Bobby” navigates through a series of hilarious and touching vignettes, questioning what it truly means to find love and be alive.
1st – 5th April 2025
7.30pm Tues-Sat
2.30pm Sat matinee
The Campbell Studio Theatre
BHOS Community Arts Hub
County Oak Ave, BN1 8DD
COMPANY
Music and Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM | Book by GEORGE FURTH
Originally Produced and Directed on Broadway by Harold Prince | Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International
All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI
www.mtishows.co.uk
Cast:
Aaron Coomer – Bobby
Katharine Johnson-Miller – Amy
Philip Lloyd Davies – Paul
Lauren Skellett – Jenny
Bertie Purchase – David
Charlotte Moroney – Joanna
Jim Apted – Larry
Kate Toomer – Sarah
Chris Parke – Harry
Constance Fisher – Susan
Jack West – Peter
Maya Kilhara – Marta
Grace Riech – April
Natasha Wynn – Kathy and Dance Captain
Creative Team:
Director – Steve Titchmarsh
Musical Director and DSM – Jonathon Neale
Producer – Michelle Newton
Production Assistant – Viv Aylward
Dance Captain/Photography/Programme Design – Natasha Wynn
Technical Manager/Sound Operator – Sarah Jane Wallace
Lighting Operator – Matt Ainsworth
Set Design and Build – Steve Titchmarsh and Matt Ainsworth