Say the words The Sound of Music and you will often be greeted with a misty-eyed response as people recall their childhood, watching the film with family at Christmas.
Bursting to the seams with the familiar Rodgers and Hammerstein songs which are the driving force of the show
It is Pitlochry artistic director Elizabeth Newman’s favourite musical and she has chosen the stage version for her festive farewell to the theatre in the hills after an outstanding six years’ tenure.
The strength of the show is indeed the sound of music. Bursting to the seams with the familiar Rodgers and Hammerstein songs which are the driving force of the show. The original stage show does have some thinner narrative moments (enhanced in the film) but here the cast power through.
At the centre of this is the wonderful Kirsty Findlay as Maria, who excels as actor/singer/musician. From aspirant nun, alternating enthusiasm with self-doubt, then growing in confidence as she finds love with Captain von Trapp to whose children she is governess.
Two teams of youngsters alternate playing the youngsters and acquit themselves with distinction whether acting, singing or dancing.
It is lots of fun as the cast are also the band and excel at whatever musical instrument they are asked to play under the baton of musical director Richard Reeday.
The singing is particularly fine. The sacred music from the convent is beautifully performed by the nuns’ chorus and then there is Mother Abbess singing Climb Every Mountain, a wonderfully operatic rendition by Kate Milner-Evans.
However there are no mountains in sight on the stage, the set (Ruari Murchison) is, rather puzzingly, a dark castellated backdrop with a stair revolve in the middle.
