It is nothing but a travesty that Aberdeen’s Lyric Musical Society does only one show a year.
Because every time the curtain draws on a performance I can not wait to see them on stage again.
And I felt no different last night after watching the opening night of Sunshine on Leith at HM Theatre.
I am not going to lie, the musical itself is not my favourite. But I am a lover of the Proclaimers and a lover of Lyrics so I was hopeful it would be a winner and I was not wrong.
In all honesty, there is so much to praise and unpack I don’t even know where to start.
Lyric’s Sunshine on Leith is another winner and far from amateur
Firstly I stand by what I said last year when I reviewed their performance of Kinky Boots, in that anything they do feels like the furthest thing I have ever seen from an amateur performance.
Whether it be the packed-out HM Theatre, the ultra-professional band or beautiful staging you really would have to pinch yourself to know you were watching locals on stage.
Weel Kent face, Craig Pike, took up one of the leading roles as Rab. The Flying Pig member and Aberdeen lawyer is no stranger to the stage but last night he was nothing short of West End-worthy as he led from the front.
He, alongside his onstage wife Rhonda Scott as Jean, truly shone as actors among the amateur cast.
But they were not the only ones worth mentioning.
For me stand-out performances last night came from the girls. Laura Burnett as Liz and Sarah Dawson as Yvonne were a dream to watch.
And we can’t forget Kenneth Lypka as Davy and Callum Anderson as Ally who were excellent in lead roles.
When Lyric’s Sunshine on Leith ensemble came together, the sun really shone
But for the first time for me during Sunshine on Leith the ensemble really shone.
I have seen many an amdram production in my time and none perform quite so well, especially lyrically, as they do.
And when they all come together as one, is when the magic really happens.
Despite me not being a massive lover of the stage show generally, the performance still managed to reduce me to tears in the second half with many a moving performance, especially that of the title song by Rhonda.
And as a violin player myself I was particularly impressed by the live orchestra in the pit which was note-perfect, as always.
It was clear from the audience reaction last night that I was not the only one in awe of their talents as everyone was on their feet for a well-deserved standing ovation at the end.
The production is on until Saturday and I recommend nothing more than buying a ticket.
You can buy yours here.
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