By TheatreVillage 
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I was lucky enough to go and see this production recently at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham. The show I remember from childhood on the big screen and so it was a good opportunity to see it on stage.
The audience contained many families and so the story of Annie is likely to be passed on from generation to generation.
The cast does have alternatives for each of the Annie’s so it was not clear who would be playing Annie for tonight’s performance prior to the show
Zoe Akinyosade took the leading role in tonight’s production, she had an incredible voice in respect of her singing and was brilliant in her role.
The staging and scenery were good for this show but I have seen other shows with a greater emphasis on the lighting and scenery.
This show contains a few musical numbers “ It’s A Hard Knock Life” is on quite early in the show and whilst it was performed fantastic, moving it back later in the show I believe would give the audience something to anticipate more.
There was a slight technical glitch before the end of 1st half, but did not spoil the show.
There were some outstanding performances by members of the cast, big shout outs go to Paul French as Rooster, Billie-Kay as Lily. Amelia Adams as Grace and Craig Revel-Horwood. My favourite part of the show was a song/dance number together by Craig, Billie-Kay and Paul, their synergy was fantastic. Ellicia Simondwood as Pepper also gave an outstanding performance.
This show is designed for families and has elements in the performance that will make all ages delighted.
The energy level of the 1st half was at a slightly higher notch than 2nd, the audience in the main did give a standing ovation, but some remained seated.
Paul O’Grady was also mentioned out of respect at the end and he would have wanted the production to have carried on after his sad death.
The cast carries this show forward and are on tour across the UK. So go see it, it’s definitely worth seeing.
The ensemble of both adults and children were amazing with good choreography, well of course it contains Craig! Talking about Craig, here is a quick interview:
The Alexandra, Birmingham Box Office | Buy Tickets Online | ATG Tickets
CRAIG REVEL HORWOOD INTERVIEW
What made you want to return to Annie, and what is so appealing about the role of Miss Hannigan?
I just love this character so much; I am deeply in love with her. I think she is absolutely fantastic and an extremely misunderstood woman. Playing her is like an actor’s playground, she is a tyrant and a villain, and those are always the most fun characters to play. I couldn’t believe that they wanted me to play Miss Hannigan at first, but I thought it would be great, and a real challenge for me. I play her for real – she’s not a pantomime dame, there’s no mucking about or breaking the fourth wall, she’s a very real character in a beautifully written show.
Are there any particular challenges to playing Miss Hannigan?
Well the challenges are that you need to be honest and real with it. Obviously, body language has a lot to do with that, how she speaks, and the accent of course – which I spent months perfecting. As Annie is set in 1930s New York, it’s really nice to play a part who speaks differently than almost anyone does these days.
Audiences probably know you best as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, do you enjoy performing and dancing on the stage as opposed to judging others?
Well, I grew up on musicals. I did West Side Story in Australia and then went into Me and My Girl and La Cage Aux Folles. I joined the famous Lido de Paris and the Moulin Rouge and then that led into being part of West End shows. The last musical I appeared in in the West End was Crazy For You which opened in 1993. I had a really fun year that year. I then left to become a director and choreographer, and subsequently a judge on Strictly. My first hoorah back onto the boards was when I was asked to do panto over ten years ago, and that reignited my passion for performing again really. When I was then asked to do Annie a few years ago I couldn’t believe it, and I’ve not looked back since!
It’s long been said never work with children or animals, but in Annie you do both! Are there any challenges that come with this or do they bring something extra to the show?
We have several sets of children on Annie, so they bring something really organic to the show. You’ll never get the same show twice. You have to play it differently with each set of children and they are so talented and doing incredible work on the stage and are all fantastic young actors. They will come up with stuff and you’ve got to react to it live on stage which is a bit of a challenge!
What was your first experience of musical theatre?
The first show that I ever went to see was Jesus Christ Superstar in Sydney back in the 1970s. I just fell in love with theatre right there and then. I started training when I was 14, and when I saw Cats in London around the same time, I knew that was absolutely what I wanted to do, to train for and study for.
