Interesting passengers brought together on board a cruise ship in the 1930s are sure to be fruitful of fun and romance. These are provided in spades in this production by the Watford Operatic Society of Cole Porter’s famous musical Anything Goes. It is done so well by the amateur performers (a number of them have professional experience) that it is as enjoyable as you could hope to see anywhere. Particularly impressive is the skilled dancing in period style which all the characters must engage in, as well as singing; the choreographer Jessica Rufey deserves special credit, as does the unnamed designer of the glamorous costumes.
Of the major characters, Joanne Goddard is a convincing Reno. The hero, Billie Crocker (Matthew Collyer), would be sadly mistaken if he did not fall for Hope Harcourt (Kathleen Paynter). But there is hardly a weakness in the casting - especially of Lady as Cheeky the dog!
The set vaguely suggests the superstructure of an ocean liner, with the decks forming raked stairs. This is good for the co-ordination of the chorus and for the small orchestra, efficiently conducted by Susana Tierney, which is placed at the top of them, so the audience can very clearly hear the tunes and the words - some of them very famous. But the arrangement is sometimes distracting, and has two more important disadvantages: it reduces the stage area available for the dance routines and it tends to delay the entrances and exits when the actors must go up and down these stairs – indeed, on the first night, somebody tripped. This is surprising, as generally the show is cleverly and tightly directed by Jeff Eales.
Anything Goes was first produced in New York in 1934 and has been a good deal revised over the years. This version dates from 1989. It retains the original musical idiom, in which light classical reacts with jazz to create the style known as swing; there are suggestions of all three styles in the score. This production brilliantly recalls the earlier period.