After a slow start, not helped by a small audience, the company thawed. The main trio of sworn friends, Franklin (Alex Clements), Charley (Sevan Keoshgerian) and Mary (Daniella Gambier) interacted well and their voices were melodious and well matched. Unfortunately the egos and ambitions of the individual characters meant that the harmony was not to last. Gussie (Aimee Batchelor) gave an inspired performance with calculated modesty and deception, and was perhaps the only survivor in the end.

The issue was that the (mostly good) ideas weren’t taken far enough. The costumes had a “cobbled-together” feel, the passage of time wasn’t distinct and there was very little choreography, which gave the ensemble a filler quality that they didn’t deserve. The lack of polish was distracting and detracted from the excellent principal performances and the cast and orchestra were well worth turning out for.