Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
  • Cue Media
    • Cue online
    • Cue Archives
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Amasango Career School premises handover in Extension 10
  • Gutters for the rain
  • Anti-Crime group murder trial postponed
  • Concern and condemnation of recent attacks on Grocott’s journalist
  • Bekushiyana OoMama ukondla kwi tumente yamagqiyazana
  • Makana’s crime spirals out of control
  • Makana Municipality still unresponsive over sewage spill: family
  • ‘We want our jobs back’
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
  • Cue Media
    • Cue online
    • Cue Archives
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»ARTS & LIFE»Prompting Poppins
ARTS & LIFE

Prompting Poppins

Rod AmnerBy Rod AmnerJune 27, 2022Updated:June 27, 2022No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Alison Hillstead in 'Julie Andrews Uncut'.

THEATRE: Julie Andrews Uncut
Review by JENNA KRETZMANN 

Filling the shoes of a Dame can be a daunting task. Particularly when that person has filled the legendary roles of Mary Poppins, Fraulein Maria, and Queen Clarisse Renaldi. East Londoner, Alison Hillstead, takes the part of Dame Julie Andrews in her stride in Amanda Bothma’s Julie Andrews Uncut. However, the stride could be stronger.  

The production casts an eye on the life of English actress, singer, and author Julie Andrews. Hillstead acts as a third-person narrator in charge of chronicling Andrews’s difficult upbringing, rise to fame, and the wobbles along the way. Additionally, there are short stints whereby she acts as the Dame, interrupted by renditions of her most notable performances, including Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and Victor/Victoria, as musical director Nathan Johannisen beautifully accompanies the melodies on a grand piano. There are a few quirky moments in which Johannisen breaks away from his supporting role and briefly joins the action. This creates a sweet dynamic between the two performers. The set feels homely, as if we are sitting in a grandmother’s living room. However, this feeling may also be exaggerated by the age demographic of the audience (myself and one another were the youngest by a longshot).  

Hillstead’s first major theatrical appearance was at 11 years old, in The Sound of Music. From there, she performed on stage and on camera. She has worked at Disney World, attended master classes at New York Film Academy, and is now well-known among connoisseurs of East London’s Guild Theatre. Her experience is reflected in her vocal talents, as her voice abundantly fills the room and does justice to the Dame. It is a voice made for musicals.

But this is not a solely-vocal performance and requires a certain level of acting ability. This is where the production falls short. From the show’s beginning, I found the acting style somewhat cringey, emphasising the wrong places and subjecting the audience to awkwardly long pauses. At first, I pinned these thoughts down to an overly-critical lens, but my doubts were confirmed when cue cards were made visible on stage. There were moments of quiet where our lead would reach for A6 black cue cards and proceed to read the script aloud. It does not appear that this was done purposefully. Instead, they act as prompters for an unsure actress. My apologies if this is instead an additional prop, but if so, the cue cards should be used more subtlety. 

Nonetheless, the production was well-received, with a standing ovation at curtain call. If you can look past a semi-learnt script, then Julie Andrews: Uncut is a worthwhile musical experience filled with melodies that will leave you smiling. 

Previous ArticleWatch out for the lava
Next Article Fire is life … and it flirts with darkness
Rod Amner

    Comments are closed.

    Tweets by Grocotts
    Newsletter



    Listen

    The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

    Humans of Makhanda

    Humans of Makhanda

    Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

    © 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.