BWW Reviews: ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, September 2 2014
When Buffalo Bill's Wild West show comes to town Annie Oakley is discovered as the next big talent when it comes to sharpshooting. She is entered into a contest against the reigning champion Frank Butler and inexplicably falls in love with him despite his many flaws. Annie's talent soon overshadows Frank's and he ends their blossoming romance as he can't handle her being more successful than him.
There were a few moments in the show where I had to bear in mind that this show first hit the stage in 1946. While overall the show is still excellent there are some parts that are hugely outdated. While Annie is a strong and feisty character she wavers in some scenes as she weighs up showing off her talent or downplaying her skills in order to keep her man. There are also some slightly cringeworthy racial references throughout.
I was hugely impressed with Emma Williams in the role of Annie Oakley. While the character alone is brilliant - sharp, witty and determined - Williams really added something to the mix and her voice is just amazing. Jason Donovan is a very capable Frank Butler but I feel as though he's almost too nice for the role. While deep down Butler is a good man, he has his nasty moments and I found Donovan to be unconvincing at times in these scenes.
The set and costumes are both vibrant and I liked that they had the orchestra onstage in a bandstand throughout the show. There are some fantastic songs featured in the show such as There's No Business Like Show Business and Anything You Can Do and the cast give an excellent performance. Another element of the show that I really enjoyed was the shootout scenes. I'm still unsure whether there was some stage trickery going on or whether the cast have been trained in sharpshooting. Either way, the results were very effective!
Annie Get Your Gun runs at the Theatre Royal until September 6th.
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