Every time I sit down to enjoy a First Act production, I know I am going to be in for a show which is full of enthusiasm and energy — and Orpheus Rocks And More was no exception.
The first half of the show was a potted version of Orpheus Rocks, based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and his quest to rescue his wife, Eurydice, who is taken down to the Underworld.
The And More part of the title refers to the second half of the show, which was entitled After Show Party and gave the group members a chance to show off their many skills, cabaret style.
As always, each night’s performance had a slightly different cast and I saw last Tuesday’s show.
I loved Christopher Ayres and Maggie Murthwaite as Orpheus and Eurydice, and Rachel Stone was a treat as the messenger, Hermes, who narrated the tale.
Aaron Danvers-Jukes was great as Hades in the version I saw and I particularly liked the three witches fighting over their one eye, as well as the simple, yet highly effective, portrayal of the River Styx.
The After Show Party was also a delight, with lots of singing, dancing, poetry readings and even magic tricks.
There was something to appeal to all tastes here and across the three performances the songs included A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman; a medley of Abba hits; King of the Road; New York, New York and many more.
As a group, all members have additional needs and so have challenges to overcome, but once again I was left feeling both exhilarated and humbled by their energetic performance.
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