Nine by Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston

Shire Music performs up to four musicals a year – and is not afraid to dive into a repertoire of more eclectic works. This deserves commendation.
Their production of Nine, based on the life of Italian film Director Federico Fellini, was well timed.
The musical by Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston won a Tony in 1992 but has faded from the amateur circuit in recent years.
All that will change soon when Nine is released as a feature movie (by the Director of Chicago) starring Daniel Day Lewis and Nicole Kidman.
In the Sutherland School of Arts the lead was played by Andrew Symes as
Guido.
He sang nicely – and effectively portrayed the angst of the film maker struggling to find the formulae to make a desperately needed hit movie.
I was less convinced that he had the charisma to bed so many women.
The Director Gavin Leahy – marshalled the bevy of women that tangled Guido’s life on a cramped stage.
He was handicapped by the small facility the company uses.
We got there in the end – but the proximity of the mistresses to each other was sometimes distracting.
It was an enjoyable night in the theatre – and it whet my appetite to see the movie.

David Spicer