As spring arrives, the sun has come out in Thetford with this new production of a beloved classic show!
Annie is a musical based on the 1924 comic strip Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray. The show first premiered in the West End in 1978, with rave reviews and instant buzz. Annie follows a young girl by the same name. Annie is an orphan and has led a hard-knock life with her foster mother, Miss Hannigan. Despite this, Annie is determined to find her parents and reunite her family. Later on, she is taken in by a billionaire called Oliver Warbucks and her life changes forever. We were excited to hear that Magic Floor Productions were putting on this beloved show, after a brilliant version of The Addams Family towards the end of 2025. Magic Floor Productions are a professional theatre company situated in Thetford, Norfolk. They offer lots of theatre experiences and consistently develop strong shows: with a incredibly talented cast of actors. Knowing all this, we were very excited to see Annie live! Katie Bird is the director of this production and has brought the show to life with creative imagery and brilliant casting!
The story of Annie is a classic plot which continues to be loved by many and this production is no exception. The use of a city skyline helps transport us to NYC and set pieces are brought in that embody each scene. The costumes were perfect for the time period, allowing bright colours for Miss Hannigan and contrasting this with dull colours of the Orphans. Similarly, the choreography felt classic but modern, with different songs giving that classic musical theatre feel. Specifically, ‘Hard Knock Life’ was immaculately choreographed: allowing the younger members of the cast really shine in their performance. Similarly, the entirely show sounded brilliant, with a great mixture of vocals blending for strong harmonies.
The ensemble had a versatile job, switching outfits regularly to be able to play characters in New York. All of them added to the production and were in sync during choreography. The younger members of the cast were fantastic: with lots of confidence off stage. Specifically, Indigo Bradley was fantastic during ‘Hard Knock Life’: bringing lots of character to her performance. Katie Bird plays Lily St Regis, Rooster’s girlfriend and an accomplice in Miss Hannigan’s schemes. Whilst James Trayton plays Rooster Hannigan, Miss Hannigan’s brother who supports her wicked plots. Both Trayton and Bird worked well together as support to Miss Hannigan’s evil schemes and were great to watch in ‘Easy Street’. Charlie Wilson plays Grace, a co worker of Warbucks mansion. Wilson was able to play this nurturing character well, alongside Trayton as Warbucks. Her vocals were strong and were great to listen to in ‘I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here’. Charlie Griffiths plays Sandy (the golden retriever). Griffiths made the entire audience engaged and was definitely a highlight of the show.
Samuel Trayton plays Oliver Warbucks, the millionaire who takes Annie in. Trayton has been brilliant is shows before and he continues to be great in this show! Lots of his songs highlighted his strong vocal talent and he worked well alongside Clay as Annie. Adam Bond plays Miss Hannigan, the cruel foster mother. Bond is an incredibly versatile actor and continues to be great in this show too! Bond’s rendition of ‘Little Girls’ was hilarious and the performance throughout was exceptional. The stand out role was Maisie Clay plays with Annie, the young orphan eager to find her family. Clay was brilliantly paired with the entire cast, allowing her to use great dynamics. Her vocals were incredibly strong, especially during ‘Maybe’. Annie is such an important part of this show to get right and Magic Floor Production definitely did!
Annie continues to run until Saturday, though tickets are going quickly. Book now to not miss your chance to head down to Easy Street!
Tickets for this performance were provided complimentary. Many thanks to Magic Floor Productions for the tickets and the fantastic production!
Max.
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