Oh what a show!

EVITA

(George Lawton Hall, Mossley)

JUST when you think Mossley AODS can’t put on a better show than the ones we have already seen, they go and raise the bar again.

Minor niggles apart, this was one of the most impressive amateur productions I have seen in a long time.

Evita is by no means a tale of attractive people, and Lloyd-Webber and Rice made it tremendously complicated to sing and perform, thanks partly to the always-moving, always-singing large forces involved. But the Mossley company pretty much nails every big obstacle.

The hall’s low proscenium arch means Evita’s head might not quite be seen by those at the back during “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”, but frankly it’s a small price to pay for so much that is right, from the fine choral singing to the 11-piece band, which goes effortlessly from rumba band to full orchestra with great timing and verve.

The lighting is good, shining ample light on the very high quality costumes worn by Evita — including an extraordinary white gown for her balcony number; but while the sound is good for small groups it tends to lose the battle with the band and intelligibility on sections of greater complexity.

Director Lee Brennan and choreographer Elizabeth Linden join MD Paul Firth in keeping the show moving at a cracking, well-drilled pace.

And the company strikes at its best with the cast. From Steve Maxfield as the crooning Magaldi and Katie McCoy as an otherwise unheralded but note-perfect girl in “Santa Evita”, to Amelia Cunliffe as the mistress, the supporting cast is strong and confident.

But the principals are something more: Jon Crebbin as Peron uses his voice at its operatic best in a performance of great character, while John Wood as Che gives another of his passionate, energy-packed performances with a voice as good as ever.

The final piece of the political puzzle, Kerry Newton as Eva, is the oddest but strongest casting. Her voice reminds one not of the smooth ballad singers of the West End but of Ethel Merman, pushed up to its highest, loudest notes by act of will.

Kerry sounded, whether by accident or design, like what Eva was: not a star but a low-rent club singer with aspirations.

Added to this was a wonderful confidence and spark: Kerry commands the stage like Eva commanded Argentina — from the front.