On The Floor Theatre Company - Godspell

Stephen Schwartz has many a musical to his name and tonight, within the beautiful surroundings of Kidderminster's St Mary's Church, On The Floor Theatre Company presented an accomplished performance of one of his many notable works, Godspell.

Inspired by the parables, the musical creatively mixes these tales with both comedy and pathos, combined with a modern soundtrack.

Matthew Tweedale led the cast exceptionally well as Jesus, accompanied by a talented 12-strong cast, who were delightful from the offset. From the excellent harmonies to the abundance of energy, it was highly enjoyable.

This show is a great vehicle to showcase the array of talent in a group and each of the individual soloists suitably shone in their respective numbers. Particular highlights included the mesmerising and harmonious performance of By My Side from Sarah Richards and Jess Richards, Ryan Donnell's tingling vocals in All Good Gifts, the moving Finale and the crowd-pleasing We Beseech Thee, led by Doug Forrester.

The production team of Darren Richards, Cheryl Skidmore and James Bradley have created a simple yet more than effective show. With a combination of elements that made the audience chuckle, juxtaposed to the incredibly poignant end scene, it made for a well-balanced production.

Although a recorded track was used, it did not detract or affect the standard of performance and aside from some minor microphone interference it was a pleasure to spend an evening in the company of such a talented bunch of people.