As an NSTA representative, I had the enormous pleasure of attending the Tring School production of Chicago: Teen Edition on the evening of Friday 23rd January 2026. It is undoubtedly a treat to watch anything performed in the delightful DEMBE Theatre, a fabulous small theatre given to this community by theatrical philanthropist David Evans and his Grass Roots company. What a tremendous gift this theatre represents and how better to demonstrate a community’s thanks for this charming facility than for its local school to stage such a fine and joyous production here.
Chicago: Teen Edition sees composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb telling a sultry story of decadence and murder in 1920s Chicago (as opposed to their other one in sultry, decadent Berlin). Aspiring dancer Roxie Hart and vaudevillian Velma Kelly sing and dance their way to freedom as they call upon slick lawyer Billy Flynn to manipulate the media in order to deliver both fame and acquittal from murder charges. The music is glorious, with great numbers such as ‘All That Jazz’, ‘Mister Cellophane’, and ‘All I Care About’ really getting the feet tapping. The original Broadway production opened in June 1975 and was nominated for numerous Tony awards. The ongoing 1996 revival is the longest-running show currently on Broadway and won six Tonys in 1997, including Best Revival of a Musical. The lead parts are gifts for talented performers, and I remember with great fondness watching Sacha Distel some years back crooning his way through ‘Razzle Dazzle’ in his 70s – definitely a theatre-going highlight for me and every bit as good as Richard Gere in the movie.
Tring School’s production was another joy-filled evening with this marvellous show. There were four component parts to the evening and they all contributed to its success – a wonderful big band taking centre stage; a lovely, supportive audience clearly full of family and friends, determined to enjoy the evening; a large company supporting the action with gusto; and a fine collection of principals to ensure the whole thing went with a bang.
What a towering performance this was from Kaja (Roxie Hart). Kaja was the full triple threat, enacting the schemes and scams of Roxy most convincingly while delivering fine song-and-dance numbers such as ‘Funny Honey’ and ‘Me And My Baby’ with real vocal polish. Amelia (Velma Kelly) was a vocal powerhouse, demonstrating exceptional talent and technical proficiency throughout. Every one of her songs was a treat and Amelia certainly started the whole show with a flourish with her stunning rendition of the iconic ‘All That Jazz’ – no mean feat to nail such a well-known showtune. It takes considerable swagger and poise to pull off the part of Billy Flynn and George had this in spades. From the moment he arrived on stage, George brought the suave, silver-tongued, money-grubbing Billy fully to life in a variety of snazzy jackets, and in addition he sang delightfully throughout. A particular highlight was his ‘Press Conference Rag’. Chicago cannot possibly come to life without three fine performances in these roles and Kaja, Amelia, and George fully delivered.
Supporting roles played their parts well. Laura (Mama Morton) has a terrific voice and her rendition of ‘When You’re Good to Mama’ was tremendous. She clearly enjoyed herself singing it, and that helped us to enjoy it too. Poor old invisible hubby Amos was brought to life very tenderly by Jacob, delivering ‘Mister Cellophane’ beautifully, while Zak was evidently enjoying all the raciness and flirtations of the devilish Fred Casely to the full. Lucy’s Mary Sunshine was a prim and perfect all-American gentlewoman reporter while in contrast the ‘Merry Murderesses’ of Georgina, Phoebe, Rosie, Ruby, and Elsie all demonstrated plenty of sass.
Supporting this perfectly was an enormous wider company through whom the choreography and the choruses gently rippled, helping to set and enrich the action. The big band were in fine form, pumping out 1920s show tunes with all the style and pazazz that one might expect of the era – very well done to Musical Director Ms Stephens, alongside assistant Ms Chalmers, for creating a wonderful sound. The lighting was sharp and effective, and the choreography had all the Bob Fosse hallmarks that are a fundamental requirement of the show. This was a fine creative effort, and Director Miss Dolder (also Tring’s Head of Drama) did a magnificent job pulling it all together.
‘All That Jazz’ on stage! What a wonderful evening of acting, musical theatre, and whole school collaboration, richly enjoyed and beautifully delivered with plenty of the old razzle dazzle. Tring School, you are charged with producing a fine musical. The verdict? Guilty as charged!
National School Theatre Awards
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