I believe there was a piece in the Oban Times last week but it was the
one week I didn't buy a copy (I know, typical!).

Steevie, do you have access to it electronically?  Maybe it could get
posted either here on the forums or on the website.

S

On 21 Mar, 10:43, "ellie" <ellie...@btopenworld.com> wrote:

Familiar faces displayed on posters around Oban had us anticipating the forthcoming production of Oklahoma.  Impressive advance ticket sales meant big queues at the Corran Halls by 7 o'clock on the night of each performance.
Front of house helpers set the scene with their chequered shirts, jeans and cowboy hats and once seated, the audience was treated to great toe-tapping music before curtain-up.
The hair, make-up and wardrobe department's jobs complete, so began 3 hours of great entertainment.
From Act 1, scene 1, Aunt Eller kept a close eye on the proceedings ( and the chemistry smouldering away between Curly and Laurey certainly kept her busy!)  Jud was dark and sinister from the moment he appeared on stage and he provoked oohs and aahs from the audience as the story unfolded.
In contrast to Jud's character, Ali Hakim's antics kept us in stitches throughout (possibly the favourite among the audience??) The none-too-bright Will taught us some 'new' dance moves and the auction of  Ado Annie's hamper was hilarious.
That girl who ' couldn't say no' not only sang and acted, but also took our breath away with her graceful dancing. Andrew and Cord kept law and order nicely and gave us the happy ending we needed. Gertie provided us with a laugh never to be forgotten: the audience erupted with laughter each time she did!
Thankfully, after much face-pulling and rolling of her eyes, Laurey succumbed to the twinkle in Curly's eye  ( or was it his singing? ) and it was a happy ending (for most).
All of the characters adopted impressively-sustained accents and every word of the script could be heard. The prompt was able to relax since everyone was word-perfect each night. The scenery was simple, yet effective and as such, the scene changes were slick.
The taped musical accompaniment worked well and the timing with the dialogue was made to look effortless.  The singing was superb throughout and the chorus provided us with difficult harmonies too.The rehearsal pianist must take credit for some of this.
  Much dancing was done by the whole cast and the choreography had been simplified so that all appeared confident with the moves.  Linsey, Kate and Ellie deserve a special mention for their fabulous dancing/ballet.
The handful of children involved were a great asset. The wide smiles conveyed their delight at being part of it all.
Oklahoma was a great mixture of humour, passion, optimism and a darkness ,which Jud nailed.
As the audience left the hall, it was apparent there were very satisfied customers. I overheard phrases such as '  very professional'  and ' could have been on the West End'.
In conclusion, thirty people on a stage succeeded in bringing a lot of pleasure to a lot of people in Oban. Seven months of hard work and dedication from all involved in Oklahoma certainly paid off on the nights. Tony would have been proud. Louisa Hyde certainly must be.
Roll on the Pantomime in December!