The Witches of Eastwick: Sheffield Star - Nov 23 2005 "Speak of the Devil and he will appear - at Sheffield Lyceum in fact. The Witches of Eastwick flew into town last night with the latest offering from Sheffield Teachers' Operatic Society. Audience Feedback "Brilliant - Clever - Smashing Cast" Sheffield Telegraph - November 25, 2005 "A devilishly entertaining comedy musical comes courtesy of Sheffield Teachers' Operatic Society.
The Musical tells the tale of Darryl Van Horne who sweeps into the sleepy town of Eastwick and turns it - and the lives of three women - upside down.
The film starred Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon and Jack Nicholson so it's a hard act to follow but the cast pull it off well.
Martin Peacock - wearing Graham Norton's wardrobe cast-offs - is wickedly good fun while the three witches (Fiona Hannon, Helen Kempton and Alison Stansall) are ideal as bored singletons who are given a glimpse of the darker side of life.
Quirky special effects and colouful song and dance sets - helped by a huge cast - make this a perfect adult alternative to a pantomime. It's not Harry Potter but a fair bit hotter with saucy lyrics and some bumping and grinding.
When the show arrived in London's West End it received mixed reviews because the songs do let it down, being forgettable and tedious, but amusing choreography and a chorus full of zest makes up for it.
If you're looking for something to warm up a cold winter evening, this romp will raise your temperature more than a bubbling cauldron."
"What a brave show to attempt. Thought you made a five star job of it."
Adapted from John Updike's satirical novel, sexed up by John Dempsey and Dana Rowe, the show centres around the lives of three modern women stifled by the saccharin-sweet attitudes of small-town America. Martinis in their hands, they make a toast and wish for their dream man, inadvertently conjuring the sexy, charismatic devil, Darrly Van Horne.
As he seduces each of them in turn, he empowers the women to become more self-aware and confident through their sexual liberation. Hedonism and infidelity abound, Horne and his entourage face the disapproval of the townspeople led by the self-appointed moral stalwart Felicia Gabriel, played with comic effect by Judi Johnson Hart. As the mood of self-indulgence and erotic intoxication spreads through the town, there are plenty of comical results.
Martin Peacock's devil is appropriately provocative and raunchy, with his frequent crotch-grabbing gestures and sexual innuendoes. The triumvirate of witches harmonise successfully and their performances capture the passionate and creative individuality of their characters, which made them outsiders.
Although some of the music is not overly memorable, the jazzier pieces do sparkle and give ample opportunity for visually impressive numbers, like Dirty Laundry, where the chorus play the provincial community gossiping as they hang out their undies!
Under the adept direction of Jeremy Tustin, the production is polished and energetic. This is a highly professional performance enhanced by the colourful, evocative sets. Double entendres, sexual puns and female liberation are the order of the day and although the material perhaps appeals more to women, the musical still offers a wicked evening of fun, magic and mayhem to all."
[Sam Taylor]
(c) Sheffield Teachers' Operatic Society 2008