Reporter: Colin Meredith
Date online: 12/06/2008

They seek him here! They seek him there! but search no further I have found him at the Gracie Fields Theatre in Rochdale. However you will have to be quick if you want to catch this memorable musical which only runs until Sat 3rd April.

The Scarlet Pimpernel offers a great curtain-raiser: A full-scale guillotine dominates the Gracie Fields stage in sinister half-light. The Opening night audience very much appreciated this new musical which has only been seen before professionally on Broadway and is now released to the amateur world.

It is truly a rousing evening of entertainment complimented by a 17 piece orchestra under the excellent direction of Harry Butterworth. This musical possesses the charm and humor that many musicals lack and this production excels in every department.

The Pimpernel aka Sir Percy Blakeney, an aristocrat, is played with tremendous energy and flair by Martin Roche, who along with fellow adventurers leads daring raids into France to rescue other doomed aristocrats from the guillotine.

Back home Percy is the epitome of an upper-crust fop, the disguise used to hide his true character and activities. With his finely tuned comic delivery and face fixed in a look of pained surprise you cannot take your eyes off him when he is on stage. Add to that a voice of the highest quality and truly an excellent portrayal all round.

Anne Birchenough excels as his French wife Marguerite, whose enigmatic loyalties place her constantly under suspicion. She looks beautiful, sings beautifully, and manages to make her character, trapped between two worlds, credible and moving.

Gary Davis plays the villain Chauvelin with great conviction and contributes a strong presence, in singing as well as acting. There are many other creditable performances which add further dimension to this musical, together with a strong chorus of excellent singers. With an array of dazzling costumes and wigs and super lighting and scenery this show has everything. Directing his first show for Rochdale, James Masters makes shrewd use of the playing space with the focus very much on the actors.

This swashbuckling, scintillating, effervescent, crammed-with-adventure sweep into the French Revolution moves at a furious pace and is a definite recommend as an alternative to sitting in watching TV. Tickets are still available and can be booked on 01706 640292 or just turn up at the Theatre, the show starts at 7.30pm.

The Scarlet Pimpernel
Gracie Fields Theatre