This show was performed by the NK Theatre Arts junior youth theatre members (all 85 of them!) and I cannot remember ever seeing such an enthusiastic bunch of children, many of whom were taking part in their first ever stage show. I must say at the outset that HUGE congratulations must go to Hannah Thomas who in addition to directing the show also took on the role of musical director and choreographer and she excelled in all of these disciplines. I have to say that, going back many years, this must be just about the best production I have seen that Hannah has taken charge of. She really does excel in bringing out the talents of the youngsters in her charge.
The storyline of the production is based on the 2003 Pixar animated film of the same name. Living on the great barrier reef off the coast of Australia, it tells the story of a young clownfish (Nemo) who gets separated from his father (Marlin), who then with the assistance of a blue tang (Dory), who has very dubious short-term memory, goes off to try to find the youngster, who has ended up in a fish tank. The story revolves around Nemo’s attempts to escape capture aided and abetted by various underwater creatures we meet along the way, but also the difficulties placed in the way by other not-so-friendly sea creatures, including sharks and jellyfish.
A mention must go to the tutors who were on stage who managed to guide all the younger members of the cast into their appropriate positions to ensure a smooth flow of movements around the stage without it looking like they were herding cats! I was also very impressed with the stage sets which were very colourful and gave a truly magical effect to the whole scene.
NK have a tradition over the years for discovering, developing and nurturing new young talent and they have surpassed themselves on this occasion. There were too many cast members to name individually but I can honestly say that every single one was excellent and did everything that was required of them. Singing was superb, not a dropped note throughout the show, acting and choreography was great for such a young cast who all managed to accomplish the correct movements without any bumping into other cast members. An all-round amazing performance by all concerned.
Although I cannot name too many individuals, I am pleased to highlight the performance of the three main characters. Nemo herself, played by Ivy Bushdyhan, absolutely lit up the stage with her winning smile and cheeky grin whenever she was on stage (which was for most of the night) and it would almost be insulting to say that she was unbelievably cute because her contribution went beyond that. Jessica Feeney took on the role of Marlon, Nemo’s father, and her interaction with the other cast members was tremendous for someone so young. However, I have to say that for me the outstanding performance of the night was Lauren Pilbury as Dory. Her singing was faultless and was complimented by her amazing acting / dancing throughout the show. I think NK have found themselves another star in the making.
The show continues until Saturday 14th June and I believe tickets are available for the remaining performances. In conclusion I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this performance and cannot wait for the time when these young people are back together on stage, which will be next month for their production of Fame Jr.
Reviewer: David S Clarke
Reviewed: 12th June 2025
North West End UK Rating: