Review: ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, Crucible, Sheffield

Annie Get Your Gun, this year's Sheffield Crucible Christmas musical, looks set to be another crowd-pleasing success.

The action never stops under Paul Foster's direction, and from the moment Anna-Jane Casey steps onto the stage as Annie, swaggering and bragging in her leathers'n'furs, it's clear that we are in capable hands. Casey's performance is a real powerhouse, coupling an incredible voice with boundless energy and fantastic comic timing. You can't take your eyes off her the whole time -having seen Casey in many supporting roles in musicals upon this stage, it's brilliant to see something that really lets her shine.

It would be impossible to review the show without noting her stellar turn, but she would not be able to make us fall in love with Annie so easily were it not for fantastic supporting performances from the rest of the cast, from the ensemble to Annie's beloved Frank (Ben Lewis).

There is a real joy at work in this show, as well as a little knowingness about how camp the whole thing really is - which you need with a story that can raise more than a few eyebrows in terms of its racial and gender politics. Here, Annie and Frank are portrayed more or less as equals, and whilst she is clearly the better shooter, he is no slouch. The overbearing alpha male role he tries to enact at the start is gradually eroded as he falls more in love with Annie, and the nice guy beneath the bluster begins to emerge.

Frank is a tough role to pull off because he can so easily become a character that alienates the audience, but the charm, humour and tenderness that Ben Lewis brings to the role allows the audience to finally accept that he is deserving of her. Even his bravado at the start is played with a mischevious twinkle in the eye.

The one aspect that I thought remained a little uncomfortable was the way Sitting Bull still came across as a caricature of a Native American. Whilst I accept that some of this is due to the confines of the musical itself as well as the social climate of the time (and the true story it's based on), little things could have hinted at a more progressive take here - for example, amending the grammatical structure of the dialogue so that he sounded less like the classic comedic 'Red Indian'.

The real strength of this musical, of course, is its score. Even those who have never seen the musical will be familiar with "There's No Business Like Show Business", "Anything You Can Do" and possibly "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun". Each number is joyously performed by the cast and orchestra (and a special mention here for Nicolas Colicos as Buffalo Bill, who has a voice I could listen to all day).

The choreography, by Alistair David, is energetic and assured, although possibly playing it a little too safe rather than taking risks and breaking away from slightly more traditional routines. Laura Hopkins's set takes us on tour with Buffalo Bill's show through a neatly executed revolving stage that brought a new location with each turn.

I would perhaps have liked a few more surprises. For a 2016 revival, this was still quite traditional and lacked some of the innovations we've seen in other musicals on this stage in recent years. However, that's not to say that this isn't a great night out - playing it a little safe at least ensures that it most audience members will enjoy themselves - and it would be nearly impossible for someone to come out of this show without a grin on their face and at least one of the songs as a constant earworm.

If you're in need of a feel-good way to end 2016, get your tickets.

Annie Get Your Gun is at the Crucible, Sheffield until January 21, 2017. Tickets here.

Read our interview with Anna-Jane Casey

Photo by Johan Persson