Young cast in fine voice for Southern sojourn

When I met with Rathkeale drama and music teachers Joanne Simpson and Adam Gordon, they told me that Big River, this year's musical theatre partnership with St Matthew's College, would be a show for the blokes.

And, they were not wrong - Big River, a stage show adaptation of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has a abundance of strong roles for male actors, and Rathkeale's young dramatists tore up the stage at Thursday's dress rehearsal.

From the leading men with their gritty solo numbers right down to the juniors in Tom Sawyer's gang, the lads brought sparkle and swagger - proving that there's more to a Kiwi college boy than a good game of footie.

Big River takes place in the pre-Civil War American South and is the tale of vagabond teen Huck Finn who, along with the escaped slave Big Jim, embarks on a journey down the "mighty Mississippi".

The unlikely pals come across an array of colourful characters including the uproarious rascals The King and The Duke, the lovely yet stroppy Mary Jane Wilkes and the trigger-happy Uncle Silas - and, in true musical fashion, singing and dancing ensues.

If I'm honest, I wasn't enamoured with the musical itself.

It could have been tiredness on my part, or the oddity of watching a show in an almost empty auditorium, or having no attachment too the Huckleberry Finn story, not having read it. But personally, I found the story lacked some of the "oomph" of the more popular named shows, and I didn't feel invested in its development.

That being said, the cast was stellar and the musical numbers sublime.

I must raise a straw hat to young Callum who, at the tender age of 14, was a powerhouse of energy and expression as Huck Finn. He played the role with spunk, sincerity and verve - and with a very convincing Southern drawl.

Year 12 student Mitchell Anderson delivered a soulful performance as Big Jim, belting out his songs in a beautiful bass baritone - reminiscent of a young Elvis in his early gospel numbers - which mixed well with Callum's younger "poppy" tones.

Another strong duo were Ryan Sheehan and John Beijen as the King and Duke, injecting comedy into the show with their over-the-top Shakespearean impressions, grandiose dance moves and wicked schemes.

My personal favourites were Keith Townsend as the delightfully Hillbilly-ish Tom Sawyer and Hugh Morrison-Thomas, who gave a chilling performance as Huck's drunken and abusive father.

The St Matthew's girls may have been playing cameo and company roles this time, but their angelic voices were a strong feature.

Standouts would be Amelia Fuller as Mary Jane, whose mature soprano made for a tear-jerking rendition of You Oughta Be Here With Me and Katherine Williams as a slave girl, who hit some unnaturally high notes in How Blest We Are.

One of the most impressive was the actors' convincing accents. Overall I enjoyed myself, even if the most joyous sources were the actors, not the story.