Musical Theatre Academy – Something Old Something New – Bernie Grant Arts Centre

Something Old, Something New 2018 was presented by students from the Musical Theatre Academy (MTA) at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre, London.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

This lively show takes us from Gershwin to Stiles and Drewe and from Bricusse and Bernstein to Shrek the Musical with lots of other slick and energetic highlights along the way.

A firm annual fixture in the MTA’s calendar, SOSN18 is, I think, its best revue yet. Apart from one year when I had the temerity to be on holiday, I’ve seen every SOSN revue since the MTA was founded in 2009.

As usual the whole college is involved – both first and second years – but obviously this is primarily a showcase for the latter who become officially available to sign with agents after this event. In previous years every single student has been signed by the time the two-year course ends in the autumn.

Revue is a very effective way of showcasing young talent. A show which includes 27 numbers, involves over 250 costumes and uses the talents of nine professional choreographers, ensures that we see each performer in a whole range of different roles.

Matilda Beck, for instance, sings ‘I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out-a My Hair’ (with five others providing dance backing and part of the singing – all immaculately choreographed by Anthony Whiteman). She’s sexy, sassy and funny.

Then we see Alex Mellors in a number from Shall We Dance and soon after being hilarious (with Laura Kent – great chemistry between them) in ‘Casting Call for a Best Friend’. In a completely different mode she gives us some vulgar stuff from Shrek the Musical with Aiden Doyle.

And, of course, she takes part in three full company numbers and ‘On My Way’ from Violet which is presented by a second year ensemble. She does a fine job in all of them.

There’s much exciting ensemble work in this show – the quintet with Aiden Doyle who do ‘This is What We Want’ from Made in Dagenham are arresting, for example, and so are the six who do the title number from Me and My Girl.

The dancing looks – as it has to– lithe and effortless, especially in the large-scale whole company numbers. It’s testament to a great deal of talent and teaching.

And if you’ve got someone as rubber bodied as Mikulas Urbanek seems to be, then it makes sense to exploit it. Cue for lots of flips and rolls, nicely grafted into the choreography. He’s a pleasing actor and singer too.

The voice work, which ranges from exaggerated Southern states, to estuary to RP and more, has been carefully attended to too and sounds pretty natural most of the time.

A strong six-piece band provides the accompaniment. Seated at the end of the perimeter balcony and led, and arranged, by college founder/principal Annemarie Lewis Thomas on keys, the live music is part of the reason that the show fizzes along so merrily.

I am convinced that revue is what drama schools and other vocational colleges should be doing in preference to stilted showcases. For a start it’s a lot more fun to watch.

Moreover it’s a far better way of demonstrating in depth to agents, casting directors and everyone else what your versatile students really can do. And in the case of MTA students they can do a lot.

Susan Elkin