REVIEW IN THE MIDDLESEX CHRONICLE

"The Beggar's Opera" has lost none of its power to enrage, delight, shock, divert, unsettle and generally captivate an audience. Fortunately, Hatton Operatic Society's production at Feltham Assembly Hall last week pulled few punches and in the main held its spectators enthralled.

After a splendid Prologue in which Derek Stringer's portrayal of the Beggar was exemplary, Robin Aldworth's production began a little sluggishly. A scene in Peachum's house failed to take wing mainly because of John Connor's Fagin-like Peachum which was much more effective when he dropped the Ron Moody-isms and became the fine actor that he is.

John Love seemed a little out of sorts as Macheath, there not being the dash of magnetism that the character requires, but he was served admirably by his two charmers Jane Dunworth as Polly Peachum and Connie Dickie as Lucy Lockit. There was a splendid Lockit from Dave Wood, and in the scenes with Peachum the two actors were first-rate.

Throughout, the smaller parts were handled with tremendous gusto, and moreover, each of the chorus members presented a complete character rather than a cog in a well-drilled machine, which would have been out of place in this piece.

The musical direction by Stephen Hale was brilliant - he led the small band from the keyboard with panache and real style, never allowing the modern "additions" to the score to intrude, but making sure that they were heard. I did like the way that the musicians were dressed in period costume too, and their presence on a level with the stage at one side of the proscenium was very much in style.

I enjoyed this version of "The Beggar's Opera" very much indeed, and the reservations I have outlined did, in some way, add to the sense of it being a "spoof" grand opera.

George Allan