Dare To Dream - Western Theatrics

Reviewed by Paul Treasure

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In what seems to be coming a delightful trend, Western Theatrics have nabbed yet another premiere of a new show for children. In this particular case it is the brand new revue from Disney called Dare to Dream.  Featuring over two dozen well known Disney songs, it has a very simple plot. A new batch of Junior Imagineers are being welcomed to Disney, and they are challenged to follow their dreams. For the rest of the show this group explain and discuss what their dreams are, and what dreams can be for. 

The set is very simple and effective. A screen at the back for projections, with a platform in front of it and steps leading onto the main stage. The front of the platform is painted like a film reel. This very simple set is very cleverly used throughout the show, taking the advantage of using the different levels with great effectiveness. Lighting was well designed to cleverly add to the mood of each number, although we did occasionally lose sight of performers right at the front of the stage, although this seems to be a limitation of the venue rather than a failing of the lighting design. The costumes are a very eclectic mish-mash of styles, which works effectively as each costume seems to be chosen to best suit and highlight their character, giving the feel of this actually being a diverse group of kids rather than just a bunch of costumes.

Musical Direction, by Jocelyn Dale and Peregrine Carr, was very well handled. The songs were all well sung and clearly enunciated. The choreography, by Kiera Chudgzey and Kirra Francis, was delightful. It was a very good choice to break the ensemble into three groups, and give each of those groups chances to shine. Giving the more experienced dancers the chance to demonstrate their abilities, while not pushing the lesser experienced ensemble members beyond their capabilities. It was especially nice to see the very experienced dancers, and those members with acrobatics, the occasional chance to really show off what they could do, without drawing the focus away from everyone else.

The main cast of 15 imagineers were all very good and well chosen, but there were some memorable stand outs. The two older imagineers, who welcome the rest of the cast, were played by Lucy Kelly and Siena Pettit, the pair of them did a very good job grounding the entire show and allowing the rest of the cast to shine. The most impressive part of their performances was that the two of them gave off entirely different energy: Sienna, dressed in pants and suspenders was very animated, coming across as though she were one of the animators, whereas Lucy, dressed in a glorious pink pant suit, gave a much more laid back and naturalistic performance, almost as though she worked in one of the offices. We were left in little doubt as to who both of those characters were, which is a testament to how well both of them did with their characterisations seeing as the script gives them very little to work from.

In a powerhouse performance, Eilidh McKay roared her way through I Just Can’t Wait To Be King. She totally owned the stage, belying her small stature and commanding your attention amongst all the larger performers onstage. Charis Rellegue gave us a beautiful rendition of Let It Go, culminating with a costume reveal that would make a Eurovision fan drink. One of the cleverest numbers was a medley of songs with nonsense lyrics, this number was led by Violette Russo with boundless energy and unstoppable glee. In one of the most heartfelt and emotional numbers, Miles Russo was heartbreaking in his performance of Remember Me. In a show full of imoressive numbers I could go on for pages listing each of the performers, and how well their numbers were done.

One of the barometers this reviewer uses, especially for kids’ shows, is whether they are trying their best and do they look like they are having fun while doing so. This troupe of performers were giving it all in this show and they all looked like they were having an absolute ball, from the leads belting out their solo numbers, to the youngest ensemble members getting a chance to be on stage for the first time. In the foyer after the show, eavesdropping on the gabbling of rightfully adoring relatives and friends, one word kept popping up: “community”. This pleased me immensely, because theatre is a community, and if a youth performing group like Western Theatrics is instilling in their kids (and their kids’ families) the importance of community in theatre, then they are certainly on the right track.

Reviewer Note: Paul has previously worked with members of this production company. Tickets for this review were provided by the theatre company.