Handsworth & Hallam Theatre Company’s Company – 17 June 2026, University Drama Studio
Review by Claire Taranaski.
HHTC’s latest musical is not just the best musical I have seen by the company, who have an excellent reputation for superb productions of musicals other amateur companies seem to be afraid to tackle, but one of the best musicals I have ever seen.
The concept musical, which gives you flashes to various marriages in 1990s New York of friends of an unmarried man on his 35th birthday may have confused some of the theatre goers but for the Stephen Sondheim fans around me they were all delighted, with every part of the production feeling like it had been transformed from Broadway to Sheffield for four days.
All of the cast, who remained on stage for the entire show, reminding us that friends our always looking in on our relationships, were perfect, with accents that they held throughout and superb chemistry making their on stage relationships and friendship with leading character Robert feel absolutely genuine. Joseph Walker who played Robert (Bobbie to some of his friends) could easily play this role on a Broadway stage and use this production to get any part he wants, with the triple C of confidence, chemistry and charisma, making the audience want to marry or at least match make him and his solo numbers performed movingly and emotion packed from “Someone Is Waiting” to “Being Alive”. After this production Joseph is going to be added to my list of leading men who I get excited if I see them on a cast list.
Another star in the making was definitely Katie Dolling as hysterical, neurotic bride to be Amy, who brilliantly pushed the character to its edges without crossing the bounds of stereotypes, had the best comic timing of the night and delivered (the only number I knew of before seeing the show) “Getting Married Today” to a hilariously high standard making it one of my new favourite musical numbers.
Director Matthew Walker, Assistant Director Jane Jefferson-Blythe and choreographers Hayley Wilbourne and Beth Cooke, would have made the late Sondheim proud and you could tell that like everyone involved they loved the source material, getting the very best out of all the cast and left me with so many favourite moments from Sarah (Katie Granger) and Harry (Richard Granger) karate to Robert, Jenny (Catherine Harban) and David (Neil Kirkman) getting high and not forgetting the act two bed scene (Grace Hadabora as April had amazing body confidence that all women can learn from) leading to a Greek chorus of the wives that was not needed but just worked.
Hayley, Beth and music director Steve Trotter, and his out of sight nine piece band, led to flawless musical numbers from stunning solos that showcased the cast’s vocals perfectly to cleverly arranged full cast musical numbers from the opener of “Company”, which connected the audience immediately with the characters and the show to the act two opener “Side By Side / What Would We Do Without You?” complete with a boater hats and a chorus line that transformed me immediately to the Radio City Music Hall stage.
On the subject of the solo numbers comparisons have to be made between the cast and some of the biggest names in musical theatre. From Sarah Buckley as Joanne who not only sounded like Elaine Paige (after her vocals in “The Little Things You Do Together” I had a long but worth it wait for “The Ladies Who Lunch” which she also showed she could pull off acting drunk whilst doing so) to Bethan Griffiths as Marta giving me Carrie Hope Fletcher vibes during “Another Hundred People”) and in the already mentioned “Getting Married Today” Sarah Morrell as Southerner Susan delivering Katherine Jenkinson like vocals as the choirgirl. One last comparison goes to Grace, Bethan and Sara Ross as Kathy who as a trio were a modern day Andrews Sister with perfect fun harmonies in “You Could Drive A Person Crazy”. If HHTC produced a cast recording of the soundtrack I would be one of first in line.
Behind the scenes I must mention everyone involved in the set, which immediately transferred the audience to the Big Apple and the minimal but clever use of props, moved seamlessly by cast members, that transported us between apartments, bars and date settings, making us wish we could almost see the East River too; and Wardrobe, Hair and Makeup, the need to colour match each couple did not feel needed as we got to know each of them, but they captured the era and the personalities and situations of each character.
HHTC’s production of Company is not one to be missed by Stephen Sondheim and musical theatre fans in general.
