REVIEW: The Best of British Musicals at Ferneham Hall, Fareham

Kicking off with a section from We Will Rock You, it features songs from a staggering 17 productions. From Me and My Girl and Oliver!, to Kinky Boots and Matilda, there’s also a good mix of classic and modern musicals.

Perhaps it was first night nerves or, a result of the small opening night audience, the show felt rather tentative in places.

David Johnson impressed with Some of Us Belong to the Stars from Billy and Feed The Birds from Mary Poppins. Meanwhile, Molly Lancaster demonstrated impressive vocals in Doll on a Music Box.

For me, some song choices were bemusing. With such famous scores, I found certain selections bizarre; a prime example was choosing the lesser-known I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face from My Fair Lady.

Similarly, the decision to perform four songs from Scrooge in the second half seemed strange.

Musical director Valerie Tucker and her wonderful band were fantastic throughout the evening. Also, the many children in the production did a great job in their numbers and were certainly popular with the crowd.

With an injection of energy and increased audience numbers with every performance, I have every confidence that this show will improve as the week progresses.

Until Saturday.