Published 21/6/13 5:14pm

5 star review for MGA!

‘the most innovative, professional and uplifting show I’ve seen in years’ – Barry Gordon

For the second year in a row, the end-of-year musical produced by The MGA Academy of Performing Arts to showcase their full-time students has received a glowing 5 star review. This time, in a national newspaper!

Read the full review below. Well done to all the students that took part, and a special thank you to Michael Kirkland for the wonderful direction this year.

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Flashdance: The Musical, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

On paper, this student-led adaptation of the cult 80s movie seemed like an end-of-term cheese-fest.

In reality, it turned out to be one of the most innovative, professional and uplifting shows I’ve seen in years.

Produced by The MGA Company – an Edinburgh-based performing arts college – it had perfect casting, electrifying enthusiasm, crafty choreography, a professionalism that belied the students’ years and top quality singing.

For those of you too young to remember Flashdance the movie, here’s some backstory. It’s 1983. Alex Owens is a welder by day and exotic dancer by night. She dreams of being accepted in a top-class academy but she’s got bills to pay. Will she make it?

Playing the title role, second-year student Abigail Stenhouse carries the show easily. She puts seasoned professionals to shame and has the perfect mix of maturity, ability and looks.

Her co-stars are also destined for stardom. As afro-haired dynamo Keisha, Chantelle Hoyle virtually steals every scene. Lara Kidd as blonde bombshell Gloria adds to the troop’s strong chemistry and dynamism.

But every one of the huge ensemble cast deserves huge credit, too. At no point did you think you were watching a student show. And that, folks, tells you everything about how fantastically professional this show is. If there’s any justice, they’ll take it on tour.

*****
Barry Gordon, Daily Record – 15.06.13