The Witches of Eastwick as presented by Newbridge Musical Theatre

Newbridge Musical Theatre

The Witches of Eastwick

Monday 21^st April 2025

“Be careful what you wish for!.” We've all heard it. But never was this saying truer than for three repressed, middle-aged women from a quintessential New England town, as they fantasise about their ideal man in ‘The Witches of Eastwick,’ only to be visited by Beelzebub himself, Darryl Van Horne, who unleashes their innermost passions and desires, whilst causing mayhem in the process. Newbridge Musical Theatre's production with its dark, subversive humour, was quite risqué at times but never overstepped the boundaries of decency, as some productions do. The show felt like a raunchy version of ‘The Music Man,’ and, boy, did the audience lap up every delicious moment! Front of house was most efficient, with everything appearing very well organised on the society’s opening night. The black and red balloon display, cast photos, etc., set a nice tone for the evening's proceedings. I was welcomed very professionally before being shown to my seat in Newbridge College Theatre. The venue had changed since my last visit, with the installation of some very welcome, tiered seating, which transformed the hall into a wonderful theatrical space.

Front of house announcements, delivered in character by Felicia, went on a little bit too long for my liking. I always feel it is best to keep these to a minimum rather than to drag them out.

Director Art McGauran gave us a hilariously entertaining, fast-moving production. He had an excellent eye for casting. How blessed he was with the fabulous principal line-up. There were some lovely touches throughout. Mr. McGauran was very conscious of covering transitions and scene changes with distractions and business, which added greatly to the pace of the show. The use of the little girl's doll as a voodoo doll was a nice touch and the hilarious Fidel in his black veil giving Jennifer away at the wedding was a stroke of comic genius. There was great attention to detail in the characterisations and the comedy was so well-handled and paced throughout. I loved the staging of ‘Another Night at Darryl's’ and the very funny use of Fidel popping up behind headboards and counters throughout the show. The use of the smoke jets from above was very clever. Excellent work all-round from Mr. McGauran.

Dave McGauran, as musical director, presided over an exceptionally tight orchestra, which brought the show's new arrangements to life. There was great balance within the orchestra and Mr. McGauran was very sensitive to underscoring throughout the show. Choral singing was excellent with great attention to detail in the dynamics. The three leading ladies had a glorious blend of voices, which were perfectly mixed by the sound engineer. ‘I Wish I May’ was a standout musical moment for me. The harmonies were flawless; the balance and blend was incredible. And there was an exceptional vocal sound in the finale from the entire cast. An excellent job overall from Mr. McGauran.There was very strong work from choreographer

Áine Foley (not McGauran!). Routines were well rehearsed and always in tune with the comedic style of the show. There was wonderful ensemble movement in ‘I Love a Little Town,’ which was very well rehearsed and sharp. ‘Dirty Laundry’ was a fantastic routine with strong, precise movement. Its Charleston-esque dance break was great fun, as was the clever use of laundry for skipping and the use of baskets and props to propel the narrative. ‘Dance With the Devil’ was an exceptional number from the men's ensemble. A superb job from Miss Foley.

Mark Trundle played the role of Darryl Van Horne with a devilish glint in his eye and an effortless charm that made him mysteriously magnetic. This was a very knowing performance with exceptional comedic timing and a level of charisma that just can't be taught. Mr. Trundle is blessed with a fantastic voice and he married this with intelligent storytelling in the great ‘I Love a Little Town.’ His strong, versatile voice was velvety and hypnotic in the wonderful ‘Dance with the Devil.’ Overall, a superb performance from Mr. Trundle, who worked exceptionally well with the three leading ladies. Bravo.

Bronwyn Andrews was excellent as the bespectacled teacher, Jane Smart, whose sexual repression is blown asunder by Darryl's seductive advances. Ms. Andrews had comedic timing to die for and took a wonderfully intelligent approach to the role. For instance, it was very evident that she didn't just jump into the cello ‘playing’ and that much time and thought had been put into her miming in the amazing ‘Waiting for the Music to Begin.’ Ms. Andrews completely lost herself in this fabulous number, playing the climactic moment to hilarious perfection. Her vocal was both powerful and expressive in equal measure and, coupled with her exceptional comedic timing, contributed to what was a tour de force performance.

Nicola Hennessy had exceptional presence and was utterly believable as the passionately arty and wise Alexandra Spofford. She too had very sharp comedic timing and her brilliant vocal, which was so full and warm, was at its very best in ‘The Eye of the Beholder.’ Ms. Hennessy's tone, and her ability to infuse a song with great meaning, was very impressive.

Another great standout performance so well played.Keelin Kilduff was a superb Sukie Rougemont, a journalist who struggles with words. Ms. Kilduff was a superbly natural comedienne and a great character actress. Her ‘Words, Words, Words’ was one of the performances of the night, with incredible diction and great storytelling in what is a very challenging patter song. Ms. Kilduff played Sukie's insecurities and low self-esteem perfectly. She never once overdid the hesitant speech. It was all very natural and believable. Comic timing was exceptionally good and, together with Ms. Hennessy and Ms. Andrews, she formed part of an exceptional trio. 

Cora Coffey was a formidable Felicia Gabriel and her adversarial relationship with Darryl brought much hilarity to the narrative. Felicia is such a fun role to play, with her stranglehold on the moral fibre of Eastwick so central to the comedy of the show, and Ms. Coffey clearly enjoyed every minute. She had a strong, confident singing voice and a fabulous upper register which was most impressive in the brilliant ‘Dirty Laundry.’ 

Seán O'Keefe gave a very funny interpretation of Felicia's henpecked, long-suffering husband, Clyde, trapped in his marriage. Mr. O'Keefe had wonderful comedic timing and very strong diction and his eventual disposal of Felicia was disturbingly hilarious. He thoroughly enjoyed every moment on stage.

Bronwyn Goulding provided some of the comedic highlights of the show, in a very funny portrayal of Jennifer Gabriel, the epitome of innocence with her dreams of a happy ever after. Her timing was razor sharp and her quirkiness so well played. Her voice was strong and expressive, at its best in the wonderful ‘Something’ which was beautifully performed.

Daniel Ryan was perfectly cast as Jennifer's love interest Michael. He played the seemingly innocent son of Alexandra, who has a well-hidden wild side, with great charm and honesty. Mr. Ryan is a natural comedian and his timing and facial expressions were exceptionally strong. What a wonderful voice he had too, really shining in the superb duet, ‘Something,’ with Ms. Goulding.

John Mullen was a very funny Fidel, Darryl's apparently mute manservant, often popping up unexpectedly to great comic effect. Mr. Mullen had great fun with the role and his hilarious appearance in his black veil had me in stitches. This was a role which was all about presence and Mr. Mullen certainly had that.

Aisling Kelly gave a wide-eyed quirky performance as Little Girl. She played the role with great naivety and innocence. Ms. Kelly's expression was wonderful throughout. Her singing voice was strong and she revelled in her comic moments as she disregarded the fourth wall and addressed the audience with great confidence and clarity. Ms. Kelly also shone in ensemble numbers.

There are so many cameo roles in the Witches of Eastwick and these were all played very well, showcasing great strength and depth in the society. Clodagh Donnelly was exceptional as Felicia's opinionated crony Gina Morino. Hannah McGauran, yet another member of the powerful McGauran dynasty, was impressive as a determined busybody Brenda Parsley and Liz Stears had her nose in everyone else's business as a funny Greta Neff. 

There was a very accomplished ensemble who hit the ground running in the wonderful ‘Eastwick Knows,’ with a great sound and quirky, fun choreography. There was exceptional vocal work and movement in ‘Dirty Laundry’ and the gentlemen were simply brilliant in ‘Dance With the Devil.’ Choral singing was very impressive throughout, with superb balance and great dynamics. Most notably, the ensemble was always on the same page as the director in terms of the comedic style of the show and added so much authenticity to the narrative.

Tom Kavanagh did a great job as stage manager, ensuring exceptionally smooth transitions. Scene changes were very slick for an opening night’s performance. The quick operation of the hinged flats added greatly to the pace of the show and all trucked pieces were well-managed. Sometimes it's the small things that stand out and I was particularly impressed by the change of time on the clock in the Gabriels’ kitchen from scene to scene. Hats off to crew for making the flying magic happen in ‘I Wish I May.’ It was a stunning ending to Act 1, seamlessly navigated by cast and crew.

The sets were simple but worked perfectly within the space. The two-storey houses with shutters painted the perfect picture of the idyllic, fictional town of Eastwick. The apron downstage left and downstage right were used very well. The trellises looked well on the proscenium, as did the white picket fencing. There was a very clever use of the hinged flats which opened out onto the stage. The gravestones looked very authentic and I particularly liked the flowers on the grave, which were a nice added detail. The church which exploded at the end of the show, was very cleverly designed and worked perfectly on cue. 

From the fabulously atmospheric pre-set of the full moon on the cyc wall and the perfectly symmetrical beams slicing through the haze, foreshadowing the show's imminent sinister events, we knew that this was going to be an excellently lit production. There was great use of haze throughout, accentuating the mysterious, ethereal world where devilishly strange occurrences appear normal. The lighting was so locked into the drama and the narrative and was such an effective part of the storytelling. Just as lighting in musical theatre should be. One of the most impressive elements of the design and operation was the exceptional timing of cues. This was particularly evident in the wonderful ‘Dirty Laundry.’ ‘I Wish I May’ was just stunning with the most atmospheric pictures created as the witches took flight. There was great use of colour in ‘Dance With the Devil,’ which was dynamic and fun and visually stunning. 

Sound was excellent throughout. Sound effects were operated separately and were so well timed and appropriate to the show. The timing of the sound effects as Felicia spat was just perfect as was the whack on Felicia's head with the frying pan. Balance within the band was excellent. Underscored dialogue was always clear and vocals always sat nicely on top of the accompaniment. Balance in choral numbers was superb. There was excellent work when the three witches sang together, particularly in ‘I Wish I May.’ 

There was great attention to detail in the props department with everything appearing to be era appropriate. Alexandra's pottery pieces and pottery wheel looked wonderful as did Darryl's bath. An excellent job overall.

There was a superb array of costumes. The pastel colour palette of the citizens of Eastwick aligned perfectly with the quirky all-American hamlet feel. This contrasted perfectly with Darryl's devilish red and black which, bit by bit, engulfed the idyllic Eastwick setting. There was great attention to detail overall and this was a perfect example of costuming used as an integral part of the storytelling and the narrative. Wonderful work from all.There was great attention to detail in the hair and makeup department too. The subtle transformations of the three witches, symbolising their awakening and liberation worked very well. 

I have seen some excellent productions of ‘The Witches of Eastwick’ in the past and in recent times. It is such a funny, uplifting, irreverent romp. Newbridge Musical Theatre captured all of these aspects so well, thanks to a very strong production team, crew, ensemble, and principal lineup. However, it was the central performances of Darryl and his three witches that allowed this particular production to really take flight. ‘Newbridge Knows’…how to do musical theatre! 

Pat McElwain

Gilbert Adjudicator 2024/2025

Photos by Aishling Conway & Liam Mullen