Theatre Review: She Loves Me
A St Andrews Musical Theatre Society Production
25/3/23-26/3/23 Buchanan Theatre, St Andrews
Directed by: Eleanor Whorms
Produced by: Tess McCartney
Written by: Joe Masteroff
Reviewed by Noor Zohdy
The St Andrews Musical Theatre Society’s production of She Loves Me was spirited from start to finish. Both truly comic and heart-rending, the story of two rival employees who discover they are one another’s secret romantic pen pals was brought to life. Every character was undeniably vivid and every presence is felt. Amalia Balash (Emilia Gillette) endearingly brought to life the ambitious, sincere, and audacious spirit of a girl determined to be successful in her job and committed to being in love despite all odds that challenge her. Her rival love interest, Georg Nowak (Jamie Cizej) was somehow both brilliantly comic and powerfully sincere. One of my favourite moments of his performance was him recounting a vision of seeing Anna Karenina in the train station, and attempting to save her before she vanishes in the air. He somehow manages to create a moment of perfect stillness amid comic vivacity. The incredible balance of the production that held comedy, heartfelt hope, and absurdity all at once in equal force made it truly unforgettable.
The costumes by Gretchen Mills and Bella Hirst gave the entire show a distinct flair. One of my favourite details was Amalia’s dress. When she was waiting for her pen pal in a coffee shop, they agreed to each have a pink rose to be recognisable to the other, and her dress throughout the entire first half of the play is a light dress with pink roses with a pink ribbon. Her endearingly effusive and hopeful persona is shines through in her wearing this very emblem of hopeful expectancy. Her outfit change to an unpatterned pink skirt and blouse seems to mirror the nature of their relationship, which transforms from hoping and unsure to true and sincere. Their dynamic was perfectly theatrical. Ilona Ritter (Taylor Colbeth) and Steven Kodaly (Alex Dingley) were equally unforgettable. Their dance together is among the liveliest moments of the musical and was spectacular to see. Ilona’s song to follow this dance, in which she determined to be a new person and to stay true to herself, was both stunning and touching, a scene among the production’s most powerful moments of dynamism.
The music, coordinated by Rowan Kehrer, animated each character – with their every step and gesture in emphasis, disbelief, joy, and despair, they seemed to inhabit the rhythm of the music. Mr Maraczek (Raiden Luse) was unfalteringly energetic and seemed to brilliantly perform each word, making his character both absurd and charming. Deftly understated was Ladislav Sipos (Ray Rohit), whose presence as Georg’s friend was among the most amusing dynamics of the musical. The features of the ensemble of shopping women (Olivia McGrath, Ellen Rowlett, and Audrey Ivester) were among my favourite moments of the show. As a trio, they were thoroughly vivid and wholehearted in their characters and lent the shop its unforgettable old-fashioned sense of comic busyness. Truly unforgettable and entertaining was the head waiter (Matthew Colquhoun). In the scenes when Amalia was waiting for her pen pal in the coffee shop, he truly shines. With comic disdain he was an utter terror at any threat to his coffee shop’s ‘romantic atmosphere’. His theatrical presence, and comic outrage made him one of the musical’s hilarious characters.
The show was a true ensemble, with every actor coming together to create a singular experience. The musical talent of the cast and musicians goes without saying but was truly magnificent. The solo pieces of several characters, particularly Amalia and Ilona were truly astonishing. The dynamic felt throughout brought it all together. Just as the music and dance were matched by each speech and gesture, each character also complemented one another. The final scene Amalia and Georg’s romantic climax was a perfect finale to the show that came before: a beautiful finish to a joyous production that leaves the viewer with hope and happiness.
