The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

For their Adelaide Fringe production of The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Adelaide Youth Theatre has cast some older actors than the company normally uses, due to the show’s subject matter.

The show is a tongue-in cheek, sometimes ribald examination of America’s Spelling Bee circuit and includes delightful characters together with great songs.

Directed by Brendan Cooney the show contains standout performances, as we have come to expect from Adelaide Youth Theatre. Tahlia Fantone is wonderfully sweet and vulnerable as Olive Ostrovsky and has a beautiful singing voice. Buddy Dawson is completely uninhibited and fantastic as Leaf Coneybear. Jamie Hornsby has just the right comical mix of likeable and annoying as William Barfee.

Mel George is highly amusing as Rona Lisa Peretti, particularly with her facial expressions. Her vocal range is not quite up to some of the songs, though. Tom Bubner is a wonderful Vice Principal Panch.

Mark Stefanoff, Georgia Broomhall, Georgia Bolton and Seb Cooper all produce fantastic characterisation in their individual roles.

Choreography by Ali Walsh, Lighting Design by Rodney Bates and Musical Direction by Ben Stefanoff are strong.

The audience loves it, but the production could have been made even better with less volume from the band. Unfortunately, although the young musicians are great, the musical accompaniment overwhelms much of the singing, particularly during ‘whole cast’ songs.

The audience clearly enjoys the cabaret seating but an interval to allow replenishment of refreshments would have helped make more of that.

This is another enjoyable production from Adelaide Youth Theatre.

Lesley Reed

Photographer: Steve Lindqvist, Slinks Media.