West Side Story – New Mills Arts Theatre

West Side Story, that much loved classic, was powerfully brought to life tonight by Bowden Theatre Works at New Mills Art Theatre.   This is a youth theatre production which packs a mighty punch.

From the first finger click of the Prologue to the final heart rending scene, the show had the audience in the palm of its hand, with powerful singing and outstanding choreography.

The swagger of the Jets kickstarted the first half and with the simple yet effective use of scaffolding as the set, we were transported to the edgy backstreets of Manhattan.   The full menace and threat of the confrontation between the two gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, was conveyed with no room for doubt of the fierce hatred between them.   There was striking use of the lighting: highlighting each side either red or blue, clearly marking the division.

Excellent casting resulted in a chemistry between Maria (Isabella Fallon) and Tony (Jake Hornsey) which was quite tangible:  they were an extremely good match and completely credible as a couple.    What can I say about Anita (Samantha Provart)….she took “sass” and made it her own with her earthy, gutsy, powerhouse portrayal.    

The scene which sets everything in motion and sparks the start of the downward spiral – the Dance at the Gym – was thrilling, encompassing all the bristling tension and rivalry of the gangs who are kept at a feeble arm’s length by the hapless Glad Hand (Dylan Morrison).   Dylan captured Glad Hand’s charming ineffectiveness with his endearing “you could at least try…” – which fell on deaf dears.

The showstopping spectacle that is “America” did not disappoint.   Led by Anita, whose intonation and delivery made it difficult to look at anyone else, it gave us a full visual and aural demonstration of the Puerto Rican experience with an explosion of girl power bursting through in the wonderful dancing.    

A light contrast to the darkness came courtesy of “Officer Krupke” – led by Action (Isaac Fletcher).  Everyone involved in this scene played the comedy at just the right pitch and it provided a welcome distraction from the main theme.

Maria (Fallon), Tony (Hornsey) and Anita (Provart) each displayed an impressive range of emotions and Maria’s roaring fury in the closing scene was a sharp contrast to her fragile, delicate charm, highlighted in “I Feel Pretty”.    

West Side Story tackles difficult themes and this young theatre company have not shied away from any of them.   The scene when Anita is surrounded by some of The Jets quickly escalates into something dark and threatening and was actually quite difficult to watch – which obviously means it was done extremely well.

Just a couple of niggles:   I noticed that during the excellent solos by Tony and Maria, the notes were not held for long which I assume was a directorial decision.   Whilst the singing was excellent, this did create an impression that the song was being rushed.  Also, Doc, traditionally a male role, was played as female by Jess Camilleri – who did an excellent job – but I believe Doc should be male so this didn’t particularly work for me.    

Minor niggles aside, this is a brilliant production, performed with energy, enthusiasm and passion and you leave the theatre knowing that you’ve just seen something amazing.

I believe that the performers have only had two weeks of rehearsals so to have produced a show this good in that time takes dedication and passion.   The production team are to be congratulated, as is everyone in this memorable offering from Bowden Theatre Works.

Reviewer: Nicky Lambert

Reviewed: 6th September 2024

North West End UK Rating: