Pods "We Will Rock You" is an energising crowd pleaser that'll leave you rocking out, all the way home

5 Stars - An energising crowd pleaser which will leave you rocking out to the music of Queen all the way home!

Last night, I had the honour of attending the final dress rehearsal of ‘We Will Rock You’ by Penarth Operatic and Dramatic Society (PODS) at the Paget Rooms in Penarth. What a treat it truly was! The company open their doors to their audience tonight, and they are in for a phenomenal show!

With the music of Queen, script from Ben Elton, coupled with the brilliant direction from multi-award-winning director Fiona Porter-Smith and the dynamic choreography from award-winning choreographer Ceri Wheatley, the audience is in safe hands throughout. 

Prepare yourself to be transported to the iPlanet, 300 years in the future, where all music is computer-generated and individuality and freedom of expression is long forgotten. The show's clever use of technology through the use of digital graphics (Gwen James, Beth Leeke, Alfie Porter-Smith and Fiona Porter-Smith) accompanied by the fantastic set (Andy Bradshaw) and lighting (Lightsource) sets the scene immediately with simple but effective scene changes throughout, which take you on the journey with the characters. 

This production has a brilliant ensemble who bring the stage to life right from the start with ‘Radio Gaga’, showing off their carefully thought-out costuming and impressive ‘tech’. The Gaga girls brought great energy during Scaramouche’s rendition of ‘I Want to Break Free’ with their choreography and props, bringing added sparkle to the stage. Later, swapping their go-go boots for their bohemian garb, the company added beautiful harmonies to ‘No One But You’, which is sure to set a tear in the eye of audience members, a truly touching scene.

Followed by a change of tone with ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, which was beautifully staged and choreographed. In act two the ensemble continues to shine with ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ being a highlight, again I must commend the choreography and costuming here as this scene really shone. Overall, the ensemble really did take that age-old saying in theatre, ‘there are no small parts, only small actors’ and made each and every role their own throughout. A fantastic job from each of them.

Amongst the phenomenal talent showcased by PODS, there are a few standout performances that need recognition. Galileo (Jacob Griffiths) and Scaramouche (Emily March) are the dynamic duo that all fans of ‘We Will Rock You’ will know. Jacob and Emily bring so much nuance and energy to the roles and absolutely blew me away with their vocal abilities, with both having strong, rounded vocals with great control. The harmonies from both Jacob and Emily in ‘Under Pressure’, ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ and ‘Hammer to Fall’ were mesmerising. Emily has wonderful comic timing and deadpan delivery; she is really going places, a real standout for me. 

Commander Khashoggi (Nigel Crick) and Killer Queen (Jodana Weekley) also deserve a mention. Nigel has great comic timing, which makes Khashoggi the villain that you love to hate, and his vocals have a rich tone. I must commend those high notes in ‘Seven Seas of Rhye’! Jodana looked phenomenal in her costume and wig (Andy Bradshaw), which added to her stage presence, overall great characterisation and stunning vocals from Jodana in all of her performances, with ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ being highlights for me. 

Brit (Marc Skone) and Oz (Jenny Evans) (fans of WWRY will know this part as previously being Meatloaf) were a fantastic burst of energy on the stage with great characterisation and comic timing from the duo. ‘I Want it All’, had stunning vocals from the pair and simple but very effective choreography (Ceri Wheatley), which makes the audience want to join in. With a mix of American and English accents throughout the cast, it was great to have a Welsh Brit, which added to the physical comedy that Marc portrays. We have gorgeous vocals from Jenny as Oz throughout with ‘No One But You’ being particularly beautiful and mesmerising. 

I must also mention ‘Headlong’ sung by the ‘dream team’ Jacob, Emily, Marc and Jenny, whose voices worked so beautifully together. 

Finally, a mention for Buddy Holly (Paul Mellin) (fans of WWRY will know this part as previously being Pop), more great vocals with highlights being ‘These Are the Days of Our Lives’ which is a sombre moment but beautifully led by Paul. Great characterisation here from Paul with perfect comic timing. 

This production clearly has a strong cast, crew and production team whose passion, talent and grit show in every element of this show. We in the Vale of Glamorgan are so incredibly lucky to have such a professional standard amateur dramatic society as PODS is. Audience members are in for a real treat! 

‘We Will Rock You’ is a must-see production with an incredible set, band, costuming and of course, cast! You do not want to miss it, so if you haven’t secured your tickets yet, make sure you do - you won’t be disappointed. 

‘We Will Rock You’ is at the Paget Rooms in Penarth from 13th to 16th May. Find out more and purchase tickets at https://www.ticketsource.com/pods.