{"id":215,"date":"2020-06-14T11:21:18","date_gmt":"2020-06-14T11:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/codsonline.com\/?page_id=215"},"modified":"2022-05-18T15:23:45","modified_gmt":"2022-05-18T15:23:45","slug":"witches-of-eastwick","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/codsonline.com\/index.php\/witches-of-eastwick\/","title":{"rendered":"WITCHES OF EASTWICK"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Director
Heather Barlow<\/strong><\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Musical Director \u00a0
Ian Crew<\/strong><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Choreographer
Rachel Worsley<\/strong><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK.<\/p>

In the small town of Eastwick, Rhode Island, everyone knows everyone else\u2019s business, particularly Felicia Gabriel, the town\u2019s resident busybody and know-it-all. She has the whole town on a tight leash; nobody dares to cross her! As Chair of the Preservation Society, she is launching a fund-raising bid to buy a local mansion, The Lennox House. Alas the event is curtailed by a sudden squall on an otherwise beautiful day.<\/p>

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Alex, Jane, and Sukie, three local friends who don\u2019t fit into Felicia\u2019s regimented world, are amused that the event was so impressively rained off. They\u2019d all been wishing for something to happen. Little realising the power their innocent wishes actually conjured up! Over a few Martinis they discuss their lives and what each is lacking\u2026 a man. Preferably as handsome as the very Devil himself. This time they really do need to be careful what they wish for!<\/p>

Felicia tries again with a fund-raising concert at the local church, but just before the event she receives news that the Lennox House has been snapped up by a mysterious cash buyer from New York, one Darryl Van\u00a0Horne.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Darryl appears at the concert and Felicia wastes no time in trying to turn everyone against him. However, he seems to have a strange charm that unleashes the normally straight-laced townsfolk, much to Felicia\u2019s\u00a0horror.<\/p>

Alex, Jane and Sukie quickly fall for Darryl\u2019s charms, little realising that he is seeing and seducing them all at the same time. The penny drops however when he invites them all over for tennis and a chance to meet his\u00a0\u2018friends\u2019.<\/p>

To share any more of the plot would spoil the\u00a0fun\u2026<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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CODS PHOTO GALLERY \u201cSMUGMUG\u201d<\/h3>

Photographs from ‘THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK’ and previous CODS productions\u00a0are all on this gallery.\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>
These range from the very early productions to the present day.\u00a0
There are also some movie clips.<\/h6>
Just click the button and select the show. Enjoy!<\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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NODA REVIEW\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>

The Witches of Eastwick by CODS \u00a0April 7th 2016 By Graham Liverton NODA Rep.<\/strong><\/h3>

\u00a0Director: Heather Barlow. \u00a0 MD : Ian Crew. :\u00a0Choreographer: Rachel Worsley.\u00a0<\/p>

It never ceases to amaze me how CODS always creates the\u00a0atmosphere required for their shows by decorating the foyer\u00a0with pointers to the show they are performing, thus creating\u00a0an atmosphere from the moment you enter the building, and\u00a0this, in a school hall, which has to be totally transformed in a\u00a0short space of time. Witches of Eastwick was no exception.\u00a0Egrets were the order of the day.<\/p>

The School hall was completely disguised by a wonderful set\u00a0that hid the orchestra behind a clever picket fence on the side\u00a0of the stepped stage.<\/p>

Kelly Vallance took the role of Alex Spofford, the least\u00a0feminine and most feisty of the \u201cwitch\u201d trio. Gillian\u00a0McKenzie was Jane Smart in the more mature characterisation\u00a0and Perdita Wright was the shy Sukie Rougemont, lacking in\u00a0confidence. All played these challenging roles with great skill and great stage presence, that gave all three the individual\u00a0characterisations required, but when coming together gave\u00a0just the right balance that blended so well.<\/p>

Their \u201cflying\u201d scene was well done and technically very well\u00a0managed.<\/p>

Darryl Van Horne \u2013 Mike Felstead was extremely convincing.\u00a0He performed with such style and sexual energy that any\u00a0woman would have been mesmerised in his presence.<\/p>

Cathie Poole (Felicia Gabriel) together with Barry Stimson as\u00a0the long suffering Clyde gave excellent performances sparking\u00a0off each other with great aplomb, the scenes where Felicia\u00a0was producing all kinds of foreign bodies from her mouth was\u00a0skilfully performed.<\/p>

Ben Edgecombe as Michael Spofford did\u00a0well, loved his walk that gave him his character and his\u00a0gyrations in the dancing was really very funny and well\u00a0performed! He captured the pathos of this role as he struggled\u00a0to cope with his first love<\/p>

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Steph Johnson as Jennifer Gabriel did well and, with Michael\u00a0Spofford, made a great couple.<\/p>

All the songs were well put over with superb choreography\u00a0that one has grown to expect from Rachel Worsley.<\/p>

The chorus did well and the groupings were cleverly arranged.<\/p>

CODS never disappoint, this is not an easy show to perform\u00a0and it has difficult music that does not come easily. The\u00a0singing both in solos and chorus was done particularly well\u00a0and my congratulations to Ian Crew MD. He must have been\u00a0shattered every night after putting his all into it, along with his\u00a0skilled orchestra.<\/p>

Heather Barlow should be well pleased with this production\u00a0of Witches of Eastwick, it was a night to remember for all the\u00a0right reasons!<\/p>

Graham Liverton. NODA Rep.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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A review of Witches by Nicky Sweetland of the London Weekly News<\/h2>

Taking on an epic musical like Dana P Rowe\u2019s The Witches of Eastwick is a brave move for any local society, with this show needing an expert\u2019s touch with all aspects of the production, in order for the racy and hilarious story to be told truthfully and yet, with grace. Crediton Operatic and Dramatic Society (CODS) rose to this challenge last week, with their commendable adaptation of one of my favourite musicals. This was my first visit to see a CODS\u2019 production, the draw being a show which, to me, fulfils everything a stage musical should, with great music, exciting staging and characters with which everyone can feel an affinity.<\/p>

The story follows three single women who are frustrated by the small town in which they live and who are looking for adventure in the shape of the ideal man. The dream beau seemingly appears in the guise of a charming and wealthy singleton called Daryl Van Horne, who feeds on their libidinous desires and helps them to harness their collective powers and realise their magical potential.<\/p>

With the theme of sex right at the core of the story, Daryl needs to have the perfect amount of charm mixed with sleaze and that\u2019s exactly what you got from Mike Felstead. Suave and a bit creepy, his scenes of seduction were enthralling and amusing, while leaving you completely convinced that the \u2018little ladies\u2019 would fall for his guiles.<\/p>

The three witches, played by Kelly Vallance, Gillian Mackenzie and Perdita Wright, all made the very most of their individual songs, with elegance and intrigue. It was when they were combined however, that the \u2018music began\u2019, with some soaring harmonies and spine tingling melody lines, all expertly accompanied by the accomplished orchestra, under the baton of Ian Crew.<\/p>

Another musical highlight came from two of the more junior cast members Ben Edgecombe and Steph Johnson as Michael and Jennifer, who\u2019s \u2018Something\u2019 was simply glorious. Johnson portrayed Jennifer\u2019s transition from innocent to harlot with style and Edgecombe\u2019s devilish dealings with Daryl in \u2018Dance with the Devil\u2019 were divine.<\/p>

With immensely clever staging, including a multi level performance area, the large and vibrant ensemble were able to perform Rachel Worsley\u2019s lively choreography with panache and ardour and when led by Cathie Poole as the audaciously uptight Felica, the ceremonious Dirty Laundry was filled with class.<\/p>

I mustn\u2019t forget to mention the flying, of course, which is known to be one of the most difficult aspects of this musical to pull off, but which was achieved here in an ingenious and extremely convincing manor, similar to that currently being used at the Apollo Victoria, London, for the flight of another famous witch in the smash hit musical Wicked.<\/p>

This was a great production of the Witches of Eastwick and I hope the show will spur CODS on to perform more brave and exciting musicals in the future.<\/p>

Nicky Sweetland
Entertainment Reporter for the London Weekly News and BBC Radio Kent<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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DirectorHeather Barlow \u00a0 Musical Director \u00a0Ian Crew ChoreographerRachel Worsley THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK. In the small town of Eastwick, Rhode Island, everyone knows everyone else\u2019s business, particularly Felicia Gabriel, the town\u2019s resident busybody and know-it-all. She has the whole town on a tight leash; nobody dares to cross her! As Chair of the Preservation Society, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-215","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/codsonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/codsonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/codsonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/codsonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/codsonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/codsonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/215\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3398,"href":"https:\/\/codsonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/215\/revisions\/3398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/codsonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}