THE WAND’RING Minstrels’ first-ever public concert was designed to show off the individual talents of its members, with the majority given the opportunity to perform their favourite ‘party piece’.

This proved to be a double-edged sword, as although the more experienced members of the company were quite at home on the stage, most of the younger, novice performers seemed fazed by being thrust into the limelight so soon. They all showed potential and will undoubtedly blossom with good direction, but their time is yet to come.

Anyone familiar with the After 8 cabaret group – most of whose members are heavily involved in The Wand’ring Minstrels – will have recognised the style of the evening, which ranged from John Gerken’s jokey introductions and Jean Hancock’s accompaniment to the eclectic mix of opera, show tunes and comedy that made up the bulk of the programme.

A well-dressed stage can make such a difference, and the company had plainly given much thought to the cleverly positioned screens and sofas, the colourful costumes and the excellent lighting effects. It all added even more polish to numbers such as the gloriously sung Old Man River, which was, for me, the highlight of the evening.

Linda Kirkman
Courtesy of the Bournemout Daily Echo