Parade, The Lowry, 27th – 28
Any members of the audience taking their seats as the cast broke into ‘The Old Red Hills of Home’ would have thought that they had arrived two hours late for the evening’s performance. The opening chorus of Parade possessed all the qualities of a number preceding a curtain call – emotionally-charged lyrics, spine-tingling vocals and a resolute unity amongst the cast members. It set a precedent from the outset which was equaled and surpassed throughout the rest of the performance.
Parade, written by Alfred Uhry and scored by Jason Robert Brown, dramatises the true story of Jewish factory manager Leo Frank, who was convicted of raping and murdering thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan in Georgia, 1913. The story highlights the racial tensions that were rampant during the American Civil War, and covers themes of anti-Semitism, miscarriage of justice, and the prevalence of love in the face of adversity. Tackling these sensitive themes was an ambitious undertaking for a cast with an average age of 18.
Whilst at times the dialogue lacked conviction and pace, the story was successfully brought to life by mature and convincing performances from University of Manchester alumni Jamie Taylor (drunk journalist Britt Craig), Alex Wilson (defence attorney Luther Z. Rosser), and Andrew Bateup (Judge Roan), whose poignant solo lamenting Leo’s fate was executed with note-perfect precision. Some performances were disappointingly undynamic, but were compensated by unexpected twists in the plot keeping the audience’s attention.
Overall, it was a highly commendable performance from a cast whose musical talent was matched only by enthusiasm and professionalism. The storyline is a famous one, which parallels To Kill A Mockingbird. However, under the supervision of director Ben Occhipinti, it was brought to life in a fresh and imaginative way. A touching reprise of ‘The Old Red Hills of Home’ closed a performance that hardly appeared to be a youth production at all.
The Company is a youth music theatre foundation, open to 13-21-year-olds. A different musical is put on at a top theatre each year and is performed following two weeks of intense rehearsals at a residential course. Contact [email protected] for more information.
