A beautiful musical

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! is undoubtedly one of the classics and one that holds a special place in my heart because I am named after its leading lady.

This musical tells the story of farm girl Laurey and the two rivals for her affections, happy-go-lucky cowboy Curly and the sinister farmhand, Jud.

The show’s famous opening lines of Oh, What A Beautiful Morning, set the tone for what was to be an electric performance from the whole company.

Mark Evans who played Curly was the runner-up in the BBC’s Your Country Needs You and for good reason as he sang beautifully. Along with his fantastic dancing and rugged looks he was the perfect match for Gemma Sutton’s Laurey, characterised more as a tomboy than a girl desperately searching for love. The chemistry between them was great.

The rest of the cast delivered bright and energetic performances set against a simple but effective set. Vas Constanti’s portrayal of Ali Hakim was extremely comedic and worked well together with Michelle Crook who played the love-struck Ado Annie who had the strong vocals to match his charisma.

Pete Gallagher as Jud Fry, although a dark and dangerous figure, managed to make us laugh. West End star Marti Webb played the understated but pivotal role of Aunt Eller — LB.