REVIEW BY TOM WORSNOP
EDITED BY RACHEL THORNBY
St Hilda’s College stages a sparkling, slick, and sumptuous production of Cole Porter’s musical classic, Anything Goes. The story follows a young Wall Street trader Billy Crocker (Sam Kohler) as he sneaks onto a cruise ship to pursue his true love, Hope Harcourt (Georgia Shell). Along the way, he encounters mobsters, flees his boss, and gets a helping hand from his old friend, and famous performing evangelist, Reno Sweeney (Harper Raverty).
The show’s costuming (by Claudia Cole) was strong, and although Billy Crocker looked like a 21st Century real estate agent with his dark grey suit and no tie, everybody else did feel as though they fit into the older time period, with particular praise going to Reno Sweeney’s various costumes. I adored the nautically-themed blue pants and white top at the end of Act I, and the variation of it that saw orange contrast with grey later on in the show. The glittery, tasselled bikini set she wears during her ‘sermon’ song Blow Gabriel, Blow was also a perfectly gaudy outfit for the morally-dubious preacher. The show-stopping moment of the tearaway dress being flung off to reveal this costume was also a sensational design. It was a really intelligent choice to have Reno be the only character to make significant costume changes throughout the show, as it ensured that the character always stood out. These stunning costumes really elevated the already fantastic commanding stage presence of Harper Raverty’s performance.
The choice to have the band (led by Stella Byrne) onstage was a fun one and having them all wear tuxedos was a lovely visual touch. This helped the set transitions take place (kudos to the stage crew for smooth transitions and the occasional save for actors missing props) by adding a visual element to the auditory splendour of the musicians doing what they do best. The singing too, was really fantastic. Sam Kohler as Billy Crocker, Georgia Shell as Hope Harcourt and Pippa Monckton as Erma were particularly excellent.
The acting was pin-point across the board as well. Harrison Abbott’s characterisation of Hope’s fiancé Evelyn, a stuffy British aristocrat, gave the character a playful likeability that was a delightful contrast to the brash, frenetic, and wonderful show-stealing performance by Ashna Sharma as the mobster Moonface Martin. Sharma sizzled with fantastic improvisations that were all the more brilliant for feeling so organic to the character. Of course, Harper Raverty shone as Reno Sweeney, with the confidence, charm, and the underlying good-hearted, world-wise attitude that is required for the character. James Mulcahy, Gemma Ashton, Niamh Morley, Felix Burns, Maddie Robins, and Grace Hall round out a very strong acting ensemble, who really make the world of the cruise liner feel alive.
The set team, headed by Grace Doddrell, had a difficult task of balancing the large cruise ship location, and a live band taking up a large portion of the stage. What came from this was a really effective use of upstage and downstage for various moments and locations on the ship. I thought it was clever how the bedrooms and jails of the ship were merely abstract placements of beds or prison bars, yet always downstage on the apron, to emphasise that we are in a separate location to the ship itself. This is also a kudos to the Hannah Crompton’s direction, with a really effective use of the space on the ship. The use of levels to symbolise moments of isolation, or power dynamics within a scene, was effective throughout, such as at the end of the song Easy To Love, where Hope’s position at the top of the balcony created a heighted sense of isolation from where the rest of the song’s choreography took place, below on the stage floor. I also really enjoyed the touch of having a haze come out of a stoker at the top of the ship set piece, to look like a burst of steam coming from the ship.
I was a little disappointed that there was only one major set piece, creating the sense that most of the show takes place on a singular deck, but given how much complexity there was in the staging of the show, it really didn’t take away from the overall fantastic feeling the show gave.
The choreography (by choreographer Samantha Caswell with assistant choreographer Lee Cameron and dance captain Maya Nix) was also a major highlight of the production. The show itself features an at times excessive amount of dance sequences, creating a challenge for the choreographer, but each song had dynamic, beautifully synchronised dances. This is especially impressive, considering the large size of the cast. When everybody is onstage, the end result is absolutely stunning, and a joy to watch.
St Hilda’s College’s Anything Goes is a triumph of style, fun, and talent, and this group of theatre makers have done a top-notch job of breathing wonderful new glamour and life into an old classic.
St Hilda’s College’s Anything Goes played September 4th – 6th at the Union Theatre.
TOM WORSNOP is a performer and writer, and has been involved in Unimelb theatre since 2019.
RACHEL THORNBY is a media and communications and creative writing student currently studying in Melbourne.
The Dialog is supported by Union House Theatre.
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