SET in the early 1930s during the Great Depression in America, watching the bright and breezy musical Annie today, at a time when the world is still struggling to recover from one of the worst economic downturns in a generation, is a sobering experience.
When President Roosevelt came to office in 1933, every bank in the country had been forced to close and 15 million US citizens were out of work.
It makes complaining about the current Lib Con austerity measures look like moaning about having too many toffees in a box of Quality Street.
Put the Brits in that sort of desperate situation and we’d be huddled round a match stick, drinking cups of tea and wallowing in self-pity.
However, in that typically Yankee style which seems so cloyingly saccharine on this miserable, grey island, people found hope in the popular newspaper comic strip Little Orphan Annie.
Although the original story was more like a tough Dickensian melodrama with a sharp political viewpoint, the musical adaptation, which was first staged in 1977, stays faithful to the character’s sunny optimism and audiences around the world have lapped it up.
Its current incarnation, touring the UK and running at The Churchill this week, has come at a time when people are in need of some frivolous feel-good fun and with its catchy score and happy-go-lucky outlook, it’s the perfect medicine for recession-weary audiences.
The plot is simple and almost pantomimic, with our 11-year-old heroine escaping the wicked orphanage owner Miss Hannigan.
After Annie is taken under the wing by billionaire business mogul Oliver Warbucks, she begins an ever hopeful search for her real parents, but envious of Annie’s sudden reversal of fortunes, Miss Hannigan hatches a plan with her con artist brother Rooster to cash in on the red-haired sprog’s new connections.
Lydia Tunstall is delightful in the title role, belting out the show’s anthem Tomorrow with an infectious energy and handling the snappy dialogue with ease.
David McAlister as “Daddy” Warbucks is a little wobbly at times when singing his numbers, but makes up for it with his formidable stage presence.
However, Su Pollard as the alcoholic spinster/slave driver Hannigan steals every scene she is in with perfect comic timing and a powerful set of pipes to match.
Annie’s message of unshakeable hope in the face of adversity may be hard to swallow for many adults but I defy anyone to hate the show’s irresistibly upbeat songs, charming cast and shamelessly feel-good story.
Annie. The Churchill Theatre, High Street, Bromley. Until Saturday. Call 0844 871 7620 or visit ambassadortickets.com/bromley
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