Review by Beth
There is something truly magical about the amateur dramatics. The incredible local talent and the passion for creation just for the love of it are the roots for every musical theatre journey. This week, Burton-on-Trent’s The Mellow Dramatics bring us Sunshine on Leith; a musical with warmth, heart and of course sunshine! Featuring the music of the Proclaimers, this production is a wonderful night out for the local theatre lover.
Our story begins in Afghanistan, where best pals Davy and Ally are serving. Following a rendition of Sky Takes The Soul, the pair are discharged after an ambush and return home to Edinburgh and to Davy’s family including sister Liz, who is Ally’s long term girlfriend. Liz introduces Davy to her nurse friend Yvonne and the pair quickly strike up a new romance of their own. In Over and Done With, the pair partake in a fun drunken tradition of story telling which was a highlight of Act One for me.
Returning home, though, isn’t straight forward. Davy’s dad ‘Rab’, a seemingly wholesome family man, receives a letter from an old lover revealing a third child he never knew of who is now 27.
Given Rab and his wife Jean are about to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary, this of course presents an issue. Rab chooses to keep this news to himself, meeting up with his estranged daughter and keeping the letter in his pocket. Cut to the 30th anniversary party, a beautiful
rendition of Oh Jean and one huge revelation later, and Act One concludes with less than happy family times.
rendition of Oh Jean and one huge revelation later, and Act One concludes with less than happy family times.
Meanwhile, Ally plans to propose to Liz, seeking advice on how to do so from Davy and the boys; Let’s Get Married was another particular highlight of the show’s first half. However once again, as we reach the interval there are complications and heart-wrenching revelations. Hate My Love For You captures this perfectly.
In Act Two, our protagonists seek to repair what has been broken and come to terms with their new future paths. Jean blames herself for her family’s unravelling and in a particularly moving rendition of Sunshine on Leith battles her conflicting feelings for her husband. Things begin to go from bad to worse for Rab, Davy and Ally as the audience wonder whether reconciliation is on the cards; I’ll let you see the show for yourselves to find out! The show concludes, of course, with 500 Miles (I’m Gonna Be) which is a true crowd pleaser, both in its melodic and slow ballad version and its upbeat curtain call! If you’re going to create a show with the music of the Proclaimers, this is surely the only way to conclude! I really enjoyed the use of the Proclaimer’s music in this show.
The folky, Scottish tones worked fantastically to exude the emotion the family were feeling as well as showing a real love for Scottish culture.
The performances in this show were incredibly strong throughout. As Davy and Ally, Tom Patterson and George Attwood had instant brotherly chemistry and their vocals felt effortless in the best way. The pair balanced ‘cheeky chappy’ and heartfelt soul searching perfectly and the Proclaimer’s music sat safely in their hands.
Naomi Hughes and Katie Rutland gave beautiful performances with clean and sweet vocals as Liz and Yvonne, both new to principle roles in the Mellow Dramatics but I am certain this will not be the last we see of either performer. Tom Bailey makes the perfect Rab; his comic delivery of the wonderfully written one-liners provided constant laughs from the audience but later in the show we see Rab’s story take a serious turn. Bailey is
able to transition back and forth between the two sides of Rab’s character brilliantly and has the audience really rooting for him despite his past life choices. Kayleigh Cross is our Jean- instantly likeable, funny yet heartfelt. Her performance of the show’s title track was a real tear-jerker and she brought warmth and believability to Jean; what a gem! Lilly Prince also gives a solid and likeable performance as Rab’s long lost daughter. The show was supported by a strong ensemble cast including some particularly strong supporting vocals from Lucy Robinson, Faris Harlow-Makin and Natalie Veasey.
able to transition back and forth between the two sides of Rab’s character brilliantly and has the audience really rooting for him despite his past life choices. Kayleigh Cross is our Jean- instantly likeable, funny yet heartfelt. Her performance of the show’s title track was a real tear-jerker and she brought warmth and believability to Jean; what a gem! Lilly Prince also gives a solid and likeable performance as Rab’s long lost daughter. The show was supported by a strong ensemble cast including some particularly strong supporting vocals from Lucy Robinson, Faris Harlow-Makin and Natalie Veasey.
Sunshine on Leith only has two performances left today at Burton Brewhouse. Tickets are available from https://www.brewhouse.co.uk/events/sunshine-on-leith-2025-09-16
However be sure to also check out what comes next from the Mellow Dramatics at https://www.mellow-dramatics.org/our-next-production/
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