Wakefield Youth group's production of Evita is just amazing
The life of Maria Eva Duarte was brought vividly to life in this superb production by the Wakefield Youth Music Theatre at Theatre Royal Wakefield
Known affectionately as Evita or Eva she was a young woman who had a poor start in life and went on to become one of the most important and influential figures in Argentina when she married Colonel Juan Peron in 1945. Peron became president in 1946 and Eva his leading lady.
The show, written by Tim Rice and with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, opens with a cacophony of noise as the Argentinian people learn of Eva’s death from a newsreel at the cinema and a Requiem is sung in her honour.
It then jumps back to Eva’s early life, her struggles with poverty, her wooing of and eventual marriage to Peron and her elevation to Santa Evita.
Esmae Bloomer is an impressive and wholly believable Eva. She looks the part and has a quiet grace that belies her young years.
She is note perfect and inhabits Eva’s persona like she’d been portraying her for years. Her rendition of On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada/Don't Cry for Me, Argentina brought a real lump to my throat - it was beautifully interpreted.
The part of Eva also requires the actor to dance and Esmae is just as good a dancer as she is a singer.
Another stand-out performance comes from Malachy Bray as Che. Che is the narrator and the voice of the oppressed working class – his character is modelled on the revolutionary Che Guevara. Malachy glowers and stomps his way around the stage and his rich singing voice is particularly impressive in Oh What a Circus and Peron’s Latest Flame. He drips with sarcasm and contempt for the bureaucrats and aristocrats he comes across each day.
Noah Simpson is Peron, a character that is somewhat overshadowed by his wife. Noah, though, does a superb job of portraying him with a quiet dignity and charm.
It is not only the leading actors that make this production of Evita so memorable. The choir, dancers and ensemble are all superb with tight dance routines and beautiful harmonies.
From the costumes and scenery to the music, everything about this production is professional and first class.
Catch it while you can - there are performances until Saturday August 31. There are a handful of tickets still available so you’ll need to act fast if you don’t want to miss out.