Turn Your Radio On - Review
Performed by the Watlington Group - June 2025
The young cast of Watlington’s CATKIDS have done it again. Despite the heat of an unusually hot British June weekend, the cast of 50 young local children from Watlington, Chinnor, Chalgrove and Lewknor put on a terrifically funny musical based in London in the 1950’s.
According to the smooth-talking Mr DJ (played suavely by Lucia Elgood), who narrates us through the show, Britain at this time, was a grey drab musical desert. Once Harry Slime (slickly played by Megan Naber), a local jewellery business man, spots a little gem in the shape of one Cyril Rumbold (a very convincing Matilda Clutterbuck) and reinvents him to become Bobby Dazzler with backing group ‘The Crushers’ (complete in drape jackets - Benjy Acaster, Albie Carter and Florence Harrison), the rest is history.
Mike Hurst, the director’s father, writes with first-hand knowledge of life in the music business and contributed a fantastically funny script and a number of original songs amongst classics like ‘Be bop-a-lula’ and his own band Showaddywaddy’s ‘You’ve got what it takes’ and many more.
The show had added value with an ensemble cast of ‘Wild Things’ (the 4 to 6-year-olds) and the Dazzlers and Sharpies (7 to 9-year-olds). We had rock n’ roll numbers, hand jives, full circular skirts and a riot of colour and energy for the two performances at Thame’s ‘Players Theatre’.
Director Alexis Cheesman is to be applauded for giving these local children an opportunity to perform with her care, effort and passion that she pours in to the group. We are excited to see what this talented young group come up with for their Pantomime ‘Dick Whittington’ in January.
LH
