Chess – Review
Reviewed by Nicole Patterson
‘Chess’, the musical, has been continuously performed since its premiere in 1984. With Lyrics by Tim Rice, known for his songwriting partnership with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, renowned from seventies pop supergroup ABBA. It it is said to be loosely based on American Grandmaster Chess champion, Bobby Fisher and Russian Grandmasters, Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov. As with most musicals, the story centres on a romantic tryst, with a game of chess as the premise. This current production is playing at the ‘Star of the Sea’ theatre in Manly.
The Manly Musical Soceity’s Musical Director Anthony Cutrupi, guided his ensemble with precision and a touch of flair. The compositions are unsurprisingly ABBAesque.
The stage setting was minimalist with a cast of singers and dancers. Choreographer, Laura-Beth Wood’s interpretation cohered with other production values enabling a fine performance by Madeline Norris, for example. The Director, Ryan Fogwell, utilised a small cast to his advantage.
‘One night in Bangkok’ stood out amongst a relatively formulaic score. It is pleasant to attend a musical that was composed as a musical, as opposed to the recent fashion of ‘juke box hit musicals.’
This current production is playing at the ‘Star of the Sea’ theatre in Manly.
Performances on at:
Thursday 28th May 7.30pm
Friday 29th May 7.30pm
Saturday 30th May 2.00pm
Star of the Sea Theatre
Cnr of Collingwood & Iluka Ave, Manly.
Manlymusicalsociety.com
NICNATPAT 