The Producers at The Theatre Royal

Naughty. Offensive. Utterly politically incorrect. Funny.

That’s The Producers, originally produced by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan in 2001, and based on the film with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder from 1968.

It is Nottingham Operatic Society’s turn to produce this show about character Max Bialystock, a washed up Broadway producer wearing rented clothes and down to his last chance. When he meets Leo Bloom, they hatch a plan to launch the worst show ever made, using the worst director and actors to ever set foot on a stage. They’ll create a flop that will make them millions. Hence, Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Eva and Adolf at Berchtesgaden.

Throughout the show, various over the top characters come along to help Max and Leo make their dream come true.

Simon Theobald, playing Max Bialystock, does a superb job. His singing is excellent, his comic timing perfect, and his vulnerability at the end clear. He keeps the show moving right from the start, a great anti-hero.

Playing alongside him, Mark Coffey-Bainbridge as Leo Bloom, is a sweet, funny character, also with excellent comedic timing and the kind of physical comedy that is hard to pull off well. He plays the awkward, shy but hopeful character beautifully, and again, his singing is excellent.

Leo’s love interest, Ulla, is played by Amanda Bruce, and she does a great Swedish accent. She has a lovely voice and good stage presence. It would be great to see her in more shows that showcase the amazing voice she’s obviously got. Her comic timing was also excellent.

Ian Pottage, playing the hilarious character of Franz Liebkind, the Nazi who wrote Springtime for Hitler, has an excellent voice as well as amazing timing. His slightly camp version of the character played well with the rest of the cast.

Dan Armstrong and Jarrod Makin, playing Roger de Bris and Carmen Ghia, were excellent stereotypical gay men in a Broadway production. Armstrong’s voice shone through when he took the stage as Hitler, and both had the audiences in their glitter covered palms.

There’s a large cast of supporting characters who do a great job as well. The sexual old ladies, the dancers, the gay characters…all do a good job on stage. While there were a few timing issues, and the choreography isn’t always totally smooth, the show is a lot of fun. It’s meant to be a satirical look at Broadway, an openly offensive show that pokes fun at stereotypes across the board. If you like your theatre with a lack of political correctness, lots of great costumes, good voices, and a bit of fun, this is a great show to see.

The Producers is at the Theatre Royal Nottingham 25-29 October.

https://trch.co.uk/whats-on/the-producersnottingham-operatic-society/
http://www.nottinghamoperatic.com/