THEATRE REVIEW: Annie Warbucks at Rotherham Civic Theatre

THE TALE of a billionaire businessman fighting to keep his newly-adopted daughter away from the clutches of the state is superbly told in Wickersley Musical Theatre Company’s latest musical, Annie Warbucks.

It is the continuing story of Annie — the red-haired orphan who escapes the municipal orphanage in 1930s Depression-era New York and is taken in by kind-hearted businessman Oliver Warbucks (Donald McInnes).

But on Christmas Day, “Daddy” Warbucks has an unwanted visit from Commissioner Doyle (Carol Andrews), who tells him his adoption was illegal because he is unmarried.

Warbucks’ attorney, Simon Whitehead (Dave Cottrell), persuades Commissioner Doyle to allow Warbucks to adopt Annie (the title role is being shared by Lexi Westley and Scarlett Lewis) so long as he finds a wife within 60 days, and a search for a suitable mother for Annie ensues.

Lexi Westley, who has been performing since she was two, was almost flawless as Annie on opening night, holding her own singing some difficult numbers such as Annie Ain’t Just Annie Anymore and I Always Knew.

As well as promising young talent, there are also some polished performances from experienced cast members such as Donald McInnes, who showed dedication to the role by shaving his head, and speaks with a flawless New York accent throughout his convincing performance.

Carol Andrews also puts in a strong performance in the challenging role of Commissioner Doyle — it can’t be easy keeping up the persona of the “evil child catcher” but Andrews pulls it off.

It’s clear the cast worked hard to perfect their roles and the odd fumble and mis-spoken line here and there on Tuesday was probably down to first night nerves and a challenging script.

Tasha Barrett, as secretary and love interest Grace Farrell, and Jess Fenwick, as Sheila Kelly, Commissioner Doyle’s assistant, never put a foot wrong, while Darren Mann-Saunders puts in a memorable and amusing performance as Warbucks’ butler, Drake.

Unfortunately, the opening night was beset by sound issues throughout performance.

Some cast members’ lines were rendered inaudible by the orchestra or were masked by crackling, buzzing or feedback from the microphones — most notably during Annie's final number.

However, all the affected cast members did a brilliant job of ignoring the issues and carrying on, as well as coping with the absence from the stage of canine character Sandy, who was barred from appearing due to licensing issues.

And it should be said that the orchestra does a fantastic job of transporting us back to 1930s New York with their mix of jazzy numbers reminiscent of the era.

It’s always tricky to adopt an unfamiliar accent as your own but many of the leading cast do it well — most convincingly McInnes and Andrews, and Westley, as Annie, manages a better New York accent than many of her more senior contemporaries.

Pete Mayson, as Alvin Paterson, needs a little bit more work on his Tennessee accent, as he slips at times back into his native dialect, but he makes up for it with his comical acting style and an impressive tap dance routine.