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Me and My Girl as presented by St. Mel's Musical Society
[Ed. Note -Few final reviews to post from last season to post before we move onto the 2025/26 season!] St. Mel’s Musical Society Me and...
![[Ed. Note -Few final reviews to post from last season to post before we move onto the 2025/26 season!] St. Mel’s Musical Society Me and My Girl Saturday 26th April 2025 ‘Me and My Girl’ is one of those shows where the punchlines come at you fast and furious. There's barely time to react to one gag before the next is delivered. Comedy is hard. It requires much understanding, timing, and confidence to get it just right. Thankfully, St. Mel's Musical Society, Longford, had a skilled director in Peter Kennedy, who instilled all of the above in his talented cast. What ensued was a highly entertaining, laugh out loud night of love, laughter, and happy ever after. An enormous amount of work had gone into front of house preparations in St. Mel's College. The ‘foyer’ was transformed into a most appealing looking reception room, and there was a real sense of occasion as people sat in salubrious surroundings, before entering the school’s gymnasium. And wow, what a transformation there was there too! Tiered seating, and a specially imported stage and set, echoed the themes of the show, in completing their own dramatic transformation. A silk purse was indeed made out of a sow's ear! The front of house team added hugely to the sense of occasion in their formal wear, topping off a very classy first impression. An excellent job all round. Director Peter Kennedy did a great job on this gender reverse Pygmalion. Witty one-liners were delivered with deft comic timing and the pace was relentless throughout. It was a show full of puns and pratfalls aplenty, with impeccable comic timing and a great understanding of the genre. The Duchess's list of “don'ts” was brilliantly directed, so well-timed in what can be a difficult sequence to get right. The omission of the ‘Preparation Fugue,’ which comes prior to the Lambeth Walk, took away from the build-up and anticipation of Bill's reveal as a gentleman, in my opinion, and we lost some momentum. There was exceptionally good pace in the very challenging library scene. Overall, a typically slick and funny production from Mr. Kennedy. Musical director, Fintan Farrelly, presided over a fabulous orchestra which immediately transported us back to the 1930s during a magical overture. Mr. Farrelly conducted from his keyboard with flair and tempi were perfectly secure, whether in the bigger production numbers like ‘The Lambeth Walk’ and ‘The Sun Has Got His Hat On,’ or more balladlike moments like ‘Once You Lose Your Heart.’ Choral singing was generally very strong. It was particularly impressive at the top of ‘An English Gentleman,’ with very good harmonies. However, the balance wasn't quite right and could have benefited from some more male voices. Principals on mics in the wings could have added support, or positioning the gentlemen closer to the downstage boom mic might also have helped. Unfortunately, there were issues with the lyrics of ‘The Lambeth Walk.’ Confusion between “them all” and “us all,” and “any evening” and “every evening” was evident across the cast and, given that it was the final performance, I felt that it should have been more secure. Dylan O’Keeffe did a very good job as choreographer, assisted by the very talented Grace Hourican as dance captain. ‘A Weekend at Hareford’ was a lively, sharp, and well-rehearsed number, with a delightfully upper-crust feel. ‘Thinking of No One But Me’ featured some nicely timed slapstick with Gerald coming off worst in a very funny routine. There was great fun too in ‘The Family Solicitor,’ even if the kickline went a little bit out of kilter. ‘You Would If You Could’ was an excellent routine, with brilliantly timed and performed comic business which was so sharp, culminating in Bill doing himself a nasty injury on the back of the couch. ‘Hold My Hand’ was a lovely ensemble dance, very well-rehearsed and ‘The Lambeth Walk’ was a brilliant, lively, and joyful ending to Act One. ‘The Sun Has Got His Hat On’ was equally joyous, superbly choreographed with great commitment from the ensemble. Liam Brady was a most endearing character, likeable and laid-back, as the Cockney costermonger, Bill Snibson. Mr. Brady had wonderful comic physicality. Key to the success of this role was that Mr. Brady was very funny without ever having to try too hard. His natural delivery was never forced and gag after gag was disarmingly underplayed in this very endearing performance. Mr. Brady's secure Cockney accent added greatly to the authenticity of his character. He was clearly enjoying every moment on stage, and this was quite infectious as he brought the audience along with him on a rollercoaster ride of comic business. He also brought great energy and fun to his vocal numbers, balancing this beautifully with great heart in ‘Leaning on a Lamppost.’ Lindsay Dann was a charming and sincere Sally, Bill's girlfriend from the wrong side of the London tracks. Ms. Dann was brilliantly feisty and rough around the edges, which made her Act Two transformation all the more dramatic. She brought great energy to the role and her dancing was very strong, particularly in the Me and My Girl dance break. Ms. Dann sang beautifully. Her brilliant performance of the show’s best torch song, ‘Once You Lose Your Heart,’ was a standout musical moment. This was in complete contrast to her brilliantly upbeat and comedic ‘Take It On the Chin,’ which was delivered with great gusto and energy. Ms. Dann's scenes with Mr. Brady were a delight. The on-stage chemistry between the two added so much to the authenticity of their characterisations. Declan Neville was excellent as the upper-crust, snooty Sir John Tremayne. This was another strong, comedic performance. His very funny drunken dance with Bill in ‘Love Makes the World Go Round’ was a comic highlight, as was his delight at being labelled “Saucy!” by that excellent judge of character, Ms. Ryan. His botched proposal to the Duchess, which he blamed on his lingering war injury, was comedy gold. A super all-round performance from Mr. Neville. Emma Stowe gave a very haughty, no-nonsense performance as the imperious Duchess of Dene, Maria, who resolutely refused to accept failure when trying to transform Bill into a fit and proper gentleman. Ms. Stowe's brilliantly sharp and cutting delivery of put-downs was an absolute delight. “Oh, do be quiet you futile man!,” brought the house down as she berated Sir John, not for the first time. Her hilarious list of “don'ts,” as she laid out Bill’s rules of engagement was brilliantly delivered, superbly timed with Mr. Brady in what was one of the funniest sequences of the show. Ms. Stowe was dignified and gracious, yet tough as nails. But underneath that tough exterior, there was a hidden warmth and great heart which shone through as the show progressed. She impressed vocally too in the wonderfully performed ‘Song of Hareford.’ Gráinne Fox brought gold digging to another level as she dumped Gerald and threw herself quite literally at the heir apparent, Bill, in what was a very fine performance in the role of Lady Jacqueline. This was a very funny, vampish portrayal, with super physicality. Ms. Fox was hilarious in her spoilt brat performance of ‘You Would If You Could,’ chasing Bill around as she tried to wear him down. She sang really well in ‘Thinking of No-One But Me’ and the hilarious ‘You Would If You Could’ was a top-notch comedy performance. Oisín O'Reilly turned in a funny performance as the debt-ridden, upper class twit Gerald Bolingbroke. He wasn’t averse to attending the racetrack and had clearly lost a tidy sum in doing so, as Bill had to bail him out. Mr. O'Reilly had all the tools needed to make this a wonderful performance. He had good comic timing, facial expressions, and physicality. However, at times, his performance went so over the top that the finer points of comedy were lost. Sometimes less is more. Mr. O’Reilly’s fabulous performance in ‘The Sun Gas got His Hat On’ showed how talented, and what a great performer he was. Aonghus O'Muirí had great fun playing the eccentric role of the family solicitor, Parchester. Mr. O'Muirí had a superb voice with a fine upper register in the ‘Gilbert and Sullivan-esque’ number ‘The Family Solicitor.’ This was a very funny performance as he leapt right out of his formal role, embracing the absurdity of his character. John Kelly was a most endearing Sir Jasper, the aging family member with a hearing problem. I loved him nodding off on the couch in the opening Hareford Hall scene. There's one in every family. Mr. Kelly embraced a brilliantly consistent and doddery physicality, which was very funny. Jimmy Stenson brought great character to the role of the deadpan butler Charles. Mr. Stenson lived his best life during ‘The Lambeth Walk,’ really getting into the swing of things as Hareford Hall was beset by the Pearlies. For me, Mr. Stenson had the funniest line of the show, in response to whether he'd ever been in love. "Oh no sir, I'm married." was so delightfully underplayed but hit the collective funny bone right on target. Anthony Heavey was a strong Lord Battersby, who enjoyed a tipple or two and it was no wonder, with an overbearing wife played by Joanne Sexton, that he would try to lose himself in the bottle. Laura Hayden was very funny as the eavesdropping Mrs. Anastasia Brown. Good comic timing helped to make this a most memorable cameo. Sabina Ryan was suitably snooty as Lady Brighton before undergoing a complete transformation to accost Sir John on Capstone Street. Nicely played on both fronts. Leo Docherty as Bob Barking and Mark Wijas as the telegram boy both offered strong support in their roles. The ensemble was strong, whether as aristocrats, servants, or the Pearlies from Lambeth. Their dancing was well-rehearsed, energetic, and committed. Choral singing was very strong throughout. What was most notable was the confidence that the ensemble brought to their performances and their understanding of the tone of the show. There was such energy in numbers like ‘The Lambeth Walk’ and ‘The Sun Has Got His Hat On,’ which they threw themselves into with abandon. Kudos to the six portraits for their stillness in the library scene! No easy task. A superb job all around. Stage manager, Eddie Kiernan, did a really good job. It was a very busy show, transitioning between multiple interior and exterior locations and there was very little let up for the large crew which was most efficient and very well-rehearsed. Changes were very slick, contributing hugely to the pace of the show overall. A really superb job overall. One of the biggest challenges when designing ‘Me and My Girl’ is that the travelling entourage is transported from the exterior of Hareford Hall to the interior, in the blink of an eye, during the opening number ‘A Weekend at Hareford.’ The set needs to be very clearly conceived, for this to happen seamlessly within a few bars of music. That is exactly what we got. The rotating centrepiece was very cleverly designed and indeed the clever and efficient design overall allowed for very slick changes. The library scene looked wonderful, complete with portrait frames and Capstone Street had great attention to detail with the practical lamppost and number 21 on the door. Lighting was strong for the most part, with good distinction between interior and exterior scenes. There aren't too many opportunities to be really creative with lighting in ‘Me and My Girl.’ However, ‘Song of Hareford’ cries out for some sort of ethereal feel as the ancestors come to life in Bill's drunken imagination. This, in my opinion, was a rare, missed opportunity in this production. Clever use of haze or low fog might have given this a more otherworldly feel. There was a gorgeous, dreamlike state upon Sally's arrival in ‘Leaning on a Lamppost’ which really enhanced this beautiful scene. Sound was excellent throughout, with great balance in the wonderful orchestra and a very good pit/stage balance also. Cueing was excellent and there was great use of suitable sound effects when required. Some slight interference on Bill's mic was quickly rectified but this was a small point in what was an excellent design and operation overall. Props were generally well sourced and authentic to the era. I loved the suit of armour and the furnishings for Hareford Hall were very appropriate. The wonderful phone was just perfect for the era. The tennis racquets in ‘Hold My Hand’ were noticeably too modern-looking for the era. Wooden racquets would have been more appropriate for the 1930s. Sir John's pocket watch was perfect. Bob Barking's letter had too many words on page one, considering that Bill only read two sentences before he ‘PTOd.’ In any case, I think it unlikely that Bob, from 1930s Lambeth, would have had access to a typewriter. The croquet mallets were perfect, as were the lovely parasols for ‘Leaning on a Lamppost’ and Japer’s ear horn was very authentic looking, adding greatly to the visual comedy of the show. There was great work in the costuming department, capturing the differences between the various social classes perfectly. Sally's red dress and beret were perfect, as was Bill's iconic look with his trademark bowler hat. Parchester's costume was a strange choice, for a solicitor. His tails and white gloves were giving butler (as my teenage daughter might say) where a sharp business suit might have been more appropriate. There were lovely summer dresses, tennis whites and cricket attire for ‘The Sun Has Got His Hat On.’ The Pearlies costumes for the Lambeth Walk were excellent. The ancestors in ‘Song of Hareford’ looked great, although I would have liked a more obvious spread across the ages to support the song’s narrative. Hair and makeup received good attention with most elements appearing appropriate to the era. Lady Jacqueline's blonde wig was perfect and the Duchess was suitably aristocratic in appearance, with her wonderful wig and appropriate aging. Maids should have had their hair tied up and a few of said maids were obviously trying to catch Bill’s eye with their bright red lipstick, when a more muted look might have worked better for their characters. ‘Me and My Girl’ is a fun-filled, feelgood, often whimsical show, devoid of intricate plotlines or deep, moralistic messaging. It is pure, unadulterated escapism and St. Mel’s Musical Society embraced the joy to bring a very funny, highly entertaining production to Longford town. Thanks to a skilled production team and a very talented cast and crew, it was a resounding success and a credit to all who had everyone from Clondra to Edgeworthstown belting out the Lambeth Walk as they left St. Mel’s College. Bravo to all. Pat McElwain Gilbert Adjudicator 2024/2025 Photos by Frank McGrath Photography](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/24cd96_c41a111bdb8f478096c8945b166b78fa~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_164,h_109,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/24cd96_c41a111bdb8f478096c8945b166b78fa~mv2.png)
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