Annie at The Palace Theatre Manchester

A cast full of heart and sparkle

Annie at the Palace Theatre in Manchester was a genuinely rewarding night at the theatre. I flipping loved it.

From the moment it began, this felt like one of those productions that just gets it right. The cast were on fire, the energy never dipped, and it had that rare quality of making a familiar story feel fresh, full of heart and completely alive.

The whole thing was beautifully put together, and it really did feel like a proper celebration of musical theatre.

Victoria Alsina, Tanisha-Mae Brown and La Voix shine

Special mention has to go to Victoria Alsina as Annie, who had real stage presence and a lovely natural confidence. She carried the role so well. Tanisha-Mae Brown as Grace brought such warmth to the production too, and that sense of quiet protection around Annie was genuinely moving.

And yes, I absolutely wanted to be adopted by Alex Bourne as Daddy Warbucks, despite all his wealth, because he played him with such charm and kindness that he was impossible not to love.

Then there was La Voix as Miss Hannigan, who was comic genius from start to finish. The timing, the facial expressions, the character work — all of it was spot on. But what made it even better was that it never felt like a one-note comedy turn.

There was real sincerity there too, and that gave the performance real heart. It filled the stage in the best possible way.

A brilliantly mixed audience and a real Manchester buzz

The audience felt brilliantly mixed as well — mums, kids, grandparents, La Voix fans, all of them together — and that only added to the atmosphere.

It felt like Manchester at its best: open, warm, diverse and full of love for what was happening on stage. At one point it even felt like being in a Broadway audience from the 1970s, with everyone completely engaged and swept up in it.

And I have to mention the kids in the cast too, because they were absolutely superb. I even got a message afterwards from one of the mums asking how the children had done, and honestly, they should be proud. They were flawless. The whole production was. Even the lovely walk-on dog got cheers from me.

A timeless story told with warmth, humour and heart

By the time Tomorrow arrived, I was just a little bit emotional in the best way. I skipped down Oxford Road singing to myself that the sun would indeed come out tomorrow, and that about summed up the whole experience. It was joyous, heartfelt, and a proper feel-good night at the theatre.

Carl Sanderson also deserves a special mention as President Roosevelt. It’s a crazy part in the story, but he played it with such conviction that I believed every line. That takes real skill.

Five stars. A total triumph. I loved every second of it!

• Annie The Musical – Palace Theatre Manchester until Saturday 20th June
• Tickets from ATG Tickets