Bugsy Malone, New Theatre

2:33pm Wednesday 13th August 2008

If only, instead of letting rip with an Uzi amid a flurry of four-letter curses, gangsters these days would squirt each other with splurge guns', uttering epithets no stronger than "You dumb salami!" In this Stage Experience production, the guns lacked the gloopy firepower of the 1976 film by Alan Parker - they sprayed a fine mist of foam, accompanied by a demure 'fizz' - but the performances more than made up for the weapons' weak calibre. While the theatre was, inevitably, packed with relatives for the opening night, the cast deserved the whoops and applause.

In Prohibition-era New York, Dandy Dan's hoodlums terrorise the district, plastering the opposition with their fiercesome splurge guns. Dandy takes on Fat Sam, a speakeasy owner who boasts a curvy moll by the name of Talullah, and as Sam's gang are still armed with old-fashioned custard pies, the desperate chubby crime boss turns for help to Bugsy Malone, a slicker who's busy wooing singer Blousey Brown, but has a few ideas up his pinstriped sleeve.

The choreography, stage design and music did the company proud, ensuring plenty of sparkle in numbers such as Bugsy Malone, My Name is Talullah, Ordinary Fool and Down and Out. Pleasingly, there were no wonky Stateside accents; also notable was the fact that, despite many of the audience being baby-faced, they didn't get restless.

Director Rodney Howard and producer Emma Bentley were clearly spoiled for choice when it came to picking the leading characters, for these were shared during the three-night run - on the Thursday, Bugsy was played by Daniel Jupp, Sam by George Williams, Talullah by Lucy Allsworth, Blousey by Kelly Hampson, Dandy Dan by Finn Cockburn and Louie by Jason Moss (pictured).

They were confident, with clear projection and a relaxed style; if George Williams doesn't soon tread the boards in bigger venues than the New Theatre, I'll eat my fedora. But some of the most memorable turns were provided by the tiniest members of the cast - the show being stolen at one point by a beaming lass in a bonnet, who strode down the aisle, accosting the audience, before taking to the stage with aplomb.

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