Made in Dagenham as presented by Nenagh Choral Society

Society name: Nenagh Choral Society

Show name: Made in Dagenham

Adjudicator date of attendance: 20/03/2025

Brief overview of show and evaluation of Front of House 

Nenagh Choral Society’s production of Made in Dagenham was a vibrant, earnest effort to tell a heartfelt and significant story. The evening was clearly a labour of love for all involved. Audiences were greeted warmly on arrival, and Front of House operations ran smoothly and efficiently, creating a positive and welcoming first impression. The theatre space was well organised, with signage and programmes readily available. A professional and friendly atmosphere was maintained throughout.

Made in Dagenham presents a particular challenge, demanding a careful balance between humour and poignancy, alongside technically difficult accents, musical cohesion, and emotional depth. While the production achieved some strong moments, there were also areas where improvements could have enhanced the audience experience and honoured the material more fully.

Director- Direction and Production

Greg Browne’s direction demonstrated an appreciation for the message and community spirit of the piece. There was a clear affection for the story being told. The overall pacing of the production presented challenges. The show often felt slow and laboured, with notable pauses and moments where stage business was lacking, leading to a loss of momentum. This contributed to a longer running time and, at times, made it harder for the audience to stay fully engaged.

Blocking was mostly serviceable, with actors positioned well enough to maintain visual interest. However, deeper exploration of character relationships and arcs could have added more texture and authenticity to the scenes. More detailed character development, particularly for real-life historical figures, would have strengthened the believability and emotional pull of the story.

Accent work across the cast was an area that would have benefited from more rigorous direction. Inconsistencies were apparent, and at times, characters who are historically from the north of England were presented with RP or misplaced regional accents. Closer attention to these details would have increased the production’s overall credibility and respect for its true-life inspirations.

To enhance future productions, Greg might consider a stronger focus on maintaining energy between scenes, tightening transitions, and building richer, more nuanced character journeys from the rehearsal process onward.

Musical Director- Direction and Orchestra

Laura Kearney’s musical direction was one of the shining lights of the production. The band was exceptionally tight and well-rehearsed, providing confident, energetic support to the vocal performances. The harmonies, particularly among the female cast, were strong and blended beautifully, showcasing the careful vocal preparation behind the scenes.

Some slight attention was needed towards the ends of phrases, where vocalists occasionally drifted slightly out of sync. Ensuring crisp cut-offs would sharpen ensemble numbers even further and maintain the polish that the cast is clearly capable of achieving.

Overall, the musical aspects were a major strength, elevating the production and offering a solid foundation for the storytelling.

Choreographer- Choreography

Stephanie Browne brought great enthusiasm and commitment to the choreography. The style and content of the choreography were at times mismatched with the requirements of the piece. Some numbers included dance sequences that felt superfluous, adding movement for movement’s sake rather than deepening the story or character motivations.

When full choreography was called for, it occasionally lacked impact, possibly due to the varying abilities of the cast. It is crucial to tailor choreography to suit the ensemble’s strengths, ensuring that movement feels natural, accessible, and character-driven. A simpler but more storytelling-focused approach would have served this production better overall.

That said, the title number, "Made in Dagenham," was an absolute standout. It was pitched perfectly in terms of complexity, energy, and style, allowing the cast to shine and fully inhabit the material. Future productions might benefit from applying this same measured approach throughout, ensuring that every movement choice enriches the storytelling.

Leading Principles – Singing and Acting

Rita O’Grady – Ailbhe Logan: Ailbhe gave a truly beautiful performance. Her vocal work was controlled, emotive, and clear. She captured Rita’s reluctant emergence as a leader with understated authenticity, allowing the character's journey to unfold naturally. A performance of real depth and sensitivity.

Eddie O’Grady – Adam Skeffington: Adam offered another highlight of the evening. His performance was full of heart, and he skillfully mapped Eddie’s internal conflicts, offering a believable emotional arc. His accent was consistent and appropriate, and his singing voice was smooth and expressive. A memorable performance.

Connie Riley – Erica Flanagan: Erica worked hard to inhabit Connie’s character. While some moments came across as slightly stiff, there were flashes of strong emotional connection. With stronger directorial support, Erica’s performance could have deepened further. Vocally, she delivered reliably and contributed to the ensemble strength.

Barbara Castle – Kate Gleeson: Kate presented a confident Barbara Castle, with an impressive accent that, while polished, unfortunately skewed towards RP rather than the expected northern tones. Nevertheless, her singing was secure, although the transition between her chest and head voice could have been smoother. A confident and authoritative stage presence.

Monty – Stuart Andrew: Stuart sensitively captured Monty’s mild and endearing nature. His reactions following Connie’s death were touching and real. His accent was appropriate and consistent, supporting a well-judged performance overall.

Mr. Hopkins – Donal Smyth: Donal struggled to bring naturalism to Mr. Hopkins. His accent work and physicality felt stiff, making the character feel somewhat disconnected from the scene's emotional pulse. Future work on grounding characters physically and vocally would be beneficial. That said, Donal’s commitment to the role was evident, and with deeper character immersion, he has the potential to deliver performances of much greater nuance.

Harold Wilson – Seamie McCarthy: Seamie made a spirited attempt at a northern accent and brought lively comedic touches. Some more detailed work could have uncovered richer comedic moments and enhanced authenticity.

Supporting Roles – Singing and Acting

Beryl – Stephanie Browne: Stephanie’s Beryl was energetic but veered slightly into caricature. A more grounded approach would have allowed the humour to arise more naturally. Clearly comfortable on stage, Stephanie has the skills to deliver a subtler, more character-driven performance in future roles. Vocally strong, she was the clear leader among the female front line.

Sandra Beaumont – Zelda Dillon: Zelda offered a strong acting performance, with nice emotional detail. Although Sandra is typically a dancer, Zelda’s portrayal compensated with character work. Her voice supported the ensemble well, and she was a key part of the girl gang dynamic.

Clare – Megan Maher: Megan was very charming as Clare. She captured the innocence and cluelessness with real sweetness. While a few comedic beats were missed, Megan’s strong natural stage presence and dance skills stood out positively.

Cass – Viv Mulcahy: Viv made a solid contribution to the ensemble, filling out numbers well. While the role offered limited individual opportunities, Viv performed with commitment and clarity.

Lisa Hopkins – Phil Keyes: Phil struggled with both accent and naturalism. Her performance felt heavily directed, which inhibited spontaneity. A more relaxed and organic approach to character-building would be beneficial for future productions.

Mr. Tooley – Colin Dillon: Colin delivered one of the stronger characterisations of the evening. His American accent was commendably consistent, and he captured Mr. Tooley’s blustering belligerence convincingly.

Mr. Buckton – Gerry Scanlon: Gerry's Mr. Buckton felt wooden, with line delivery that leaned towards recitation rather than acting. More work on embodying the character physically and vocally would elevate future performances.

Barry, Sid, Bill, Macer/Chubby/Photographer – Cathal Morgan, Zach O’Halloran, James Kelly, Alan O’Brien: These ensemble members brought good energy to their roles. Stronger attention to stage presence and accent consistency would help sharpen their collective contribution.

Cortina Man – Kevin Prout: Kevin delivered a solid performance, singing and moving well. While not a standout role, he fulfilled the requirements competently and confidently.

Chorus/Ensemble – Singing, Acting and Choreography

The ensemble contributed positively to the musical landscape of the show. Vocally, they were well prepared, with clear diction and pleasing harmonies. Their collective energy supported the main action well. With sharper attention to character consistency and motivation during scenes, the ensemble could deepen their impact even further. 

Stage Management and Set Design

The set design was a real strength of the production. The choice of colours was visually engaging, and the simple double-sided flats were used with creativity and consistency. Particularly effective was the clever use of backlit insets in the back wall to suggest location changes.

Scene changes were notably slow and at times uncoordinated. This broke the flow of the story and contributed to the production’s overall pacing issues. More rehearsal time specifically focused on scene transitions would greatly benefit future productions, ensuring that energy remains high throughout.

Technical – Lighting and Sound

Lighting was unfortunately a weak point. The use of parcan movers as face lights led to visible inconsistencies, with several dark spots on stage, particularly Down Stage Right and Left. Investing time in more traditional theatrical face lighting techniques would vastly improve the overall visual quality.

Sound, on the other hand, was nicely balanced. The mix between the band and vocals was well managed, allowing the audience to appreciate both elements without one overpowering the other.

Visual – Costumes, Hair and Make-up

Costumes were thoughtfully chosen and character-appropriate, supporting the storytelling well. Although the pub scene leaned slightly towards a 1970s aesthetic, overall, the costumes captured the intended era effectively.

Hair was appropriate and well styled for the period, maintaining visual consistency across the cast. Makeup was clean and natural; in some cases, a bolder approach could have enhanced character differentiation, but it was always tastefully executed.

Overall Adjudicator’s Comments

Nenagh Choral Society’s Made in Dagenham was a heartfelt production, brimming with enthusiasm and community spirit. It was clear that a tremendous amount of work and passion went into the staging, and the efforts of all involved are to be commended.

To continue raising the standard, future productions might focus on:

• Sharpening the overall pace and scene transitions to maintain narrative drive.

• Deepening character development across the cast, particularly in real-life roles.

• Refining accent work to build greater authenticity.

• Tailoring choreography more sensitively to cast capabilities and storytelling needs.

• Investing in improved stage lighting techniques to enhance visual clarity.

There is real talent and potential within this society, and with continued attention to detail and holistic storytelling, the quality will only grow stronger.