Source: Te Pukenga
It’s a feel-good musical, a love story, a toe-tapping treat and it’s putting the Ara | Te Pūkenga 2nd year NASDA students to the test both on stage and off.
Debuting in London’s West End in 1937, Me and My Girl tells the story of unrefined cockney geezer Bill Snibson (played by Sean Lean-Massey), whose world is turned upside down when he learns he’s the 14th heir to the Earl of Hareford.
While haughty aristocrats do their all to teach Bill how to become a gentleman – they’re less inclined towards his long-time sweetheart Sally Smith – a role enjoyed by Annabel Orwin-Higgs.
“I love the fact that she’s a bit unhinged and chaotic and such a fun contrast to play against the upper class, snotty toffs,” Orwin-Higgs laughs. “The ‘us versus them’ is a great dynamic on stage.”
Lean-Massey said his character was fun with play with. “Bill’s high energy and he bounces back from lows quickly,” he said. “I’m a very physical person so I like to try out a few tricks and then turn to the director and ask if it fits!”
The pair have put hours into refining their unrefined Londoner accents, and with very limited prior tap dancing experience, Lean-Massey said their polished routines are thanks to intense NASDA training.
Famously featuring “The Lambeth Walk” and “The Sun has Got its Hat On”, the music for Me and My Girl is by Noel Gray with original book and lyrics by L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber. The book was revised by Stephen Fry in the 1980s, once again enjoying award-winning West End and Broadway seasons.
NASDA’s production is directed by Sara Brodie, choreographed by Sara Brodie and Kirsty Allpress with musical direction by Mark W Dorrell. It’s part of a dynamic and varied year of study for these Bachelor of Music Theatre students. The second year class has already toured the musical HONK! to local schools and performed a selection of waiata, Te Kete Whakaari Pūoro.
” Me and My Girl is an excellent older-style show for them to get their teeth into,” Brodie said. “It’s rich in character-filled roles, dance routines and challenging accents – but as well as that they have off-stage roles too. So, it’s a case of wearing a lot of hats.”
The ākonga cover everything from costuming, set design and props to stage managing, assistant directing, makeup and hair. “We’ve done everything under the sun pretty much!” Orwin-Higgs said. Lead-Massey added that learning the process of set design “was a fun challenge assisted by great mentors.”
But at the end of this week their energy will go into the opening of a six night season. Just as it was in the trying times of the late 1930s, Orwin-Higgs said Me and My Girl is perfect escapism.
“Everyone’s lives have a lot going on and this provides a nice moment to switch off, step back, have a laugh and enjoy some songs which I think is how the show was originally intended,” she said. “Yes, there’s a bit of drama but at the core it’s a feel good story.”
After weeks of rigorous rehearsing, this rag to riches show promises to be all class.
Me and My Girl is on at the NASDA Theatre (Ara |Te Pūkenga Madras Street Campus) September 1st, 2nd and 6th-9th. Limited tickets are available via Humanitix.
