Pippa Munro Hebden
The plot of Up On The Roof by Simon Moore and Jane Prowse is simple. Five students graduate from Hull University in 1975, meet again in 1980 and in 1985 and compare each other’s lives. That’s not the reason to go and see this delightful production by director Peter Rowe at Oldham’s Coliseum Theatre. Go and enjoy the wonderful a cappella music with all kinds of favourites including, of course, the famous. Up On The Roof.
The talented cast, Stephen Fletcher, Christopher Pizzey, Gavin Spokes, Gemma Wardle and Georgina White sing unaccompanied and dance their way through several popular songs with incredibly skilful do-wah-de-do, dip-dip, bop-bop backing noises as each in turn sing the lyrics.
Great credit must be given to the always accomplished musical director Howard Gray and also to Choreographer Francesca Jaynes. Together they have helped the cast to give renditions that preserve the idea that these are supposedly amateur student singers and yet are very professional. Some of the routines are hilarious. Foxton has designed three sets for each of the acts as well as clever costumes to reflect each era as well as the changes in the characters’ circumstances. The hairstyles are amazing. It’s hard to believe now that we wore such mops! The Coliseum’s next production starting on 20 May is The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stephenson, a superb playwright, writing about the effect of the death of their mother on three sisters. It is both funny and poignant. I’ve seen this play before and I am really looking forward to seeing it again.