CityLife

Annie

A REVIEWER once wrote that to dislike Annie would be to dislike motherhood, peanut butter, mongrel dogs and nostalgia!

This rags to riches fairytale is based on the Little Orphan Annie cartoon series, so popular with Americans during the dark days of The Depression.

Indeed some of the lines still hit the mark in these troubled credit crunch times.

Created by playwright Charles Meehan and composer Charles Strouse, it's the sheer determination of the plucky little orphan girl to make the best of every situation which not only inspires New York's homeless but President Roosevelt's Cabinet as well.

First seen on stage in 1970, it was followed by the glossy Hollywood film version which starred Salfordian Albert Finney as the successful
billionaire, Daddy Warbucks.

Pruned down

Director Roger Hannah has introduced some additional touches of humour to this stage version and considering this is a touring production, the pruned down, plush sets fly in and out at speed.

The enthusiastic cast is headed by bubbly Su Pollard ( Hi-De-Hi) one of the best Miss Hannigans I've seen. As the alcoholic Matron of the orphanage, the audience loved her quirky sense of fun, David McAlister (Hollyoaks) humanises Daddy Warbucks and has a really good voice whilst Simone Craddock makes a delightful Grace Farrell.

Wigan's own Ellen Gallagher, as Annie, is a good little actress and, after some initial microphone distortion, belts out the big numbers.

Unlike some new musicals, there are several memorable songs like Tomorrow, Hard Knock Life, Easy Street and Maybe which you're guaranteed to be humming on the way home.

The relentless jollity of this show may prove too much for some but a tonic for others.

Either way bookings are going well for this uplifting tale of triumph over adversity with a surprise feel-good ending.

Annie is at The Lowry until Saturday, August 1. £12 - £24. Call 0870 787 5780.

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