Our House at South Hill Park

Published 14 Oct 2010 13:00 0 Comments

IT MUST have been love when director Dani McCallum decided to put the Starmaker Theatre Company through their paces with a Mamma Mia style performance of Our House, based on the songs by Madness.

After an overture of Madness favourites, including ‘Must Be Love’, ‘One Step Beyond’ and ‘Baggy Trousers’, the show followed the story of Joe Casey, played by a very talented Tom Longhurst, in a ‘Sliding Doors’ style plot of good and bad Joe based on a decision to break into a building site when he was 16.

The cast of more than 30 told the story through fun dances, gymnastics, ballet, waltz and of course singing.

Unlike Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You, there was no real need for a forced storyline as Madness songs are stories in themselves.

‘My Girl’ and ‘Embarrassment’ worked the best, with the superb cast able to convey the emotions of the songs despite being only teens themselves. Robyn Smith, who played Joe’s love interest Sarah, sang a beautiful rendition of ‘N.W.5’.

Our House was a feel good show, with great music, a brilliant cast, and left the audiences - and my dad - singing ‘Baggy Trousers’ all the way home.

DANIELLE CUMBER

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This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 14 Oct 10

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