No Apology Necessary
Mencap Loud and Lovely Joan Osbaldeston
When a friend asked me if I would write a review of Mencap’s Let’s Get Loud show at the De La Warr, I hesitated, imagining an awkward school show with dodgy production values – something only a mum or dad could love. Well, there is nothing more satisfying and educational than having your preconceptions thrown out of the window.
On a balmy evening, a sell-out crowd at The De La Warr, were treated to a fast-paced, joyous and creative mixture of comedy, drama, music and film performed by more than 50 Mencap service users. We moved from Guys and Dolls – to Wicked via Hello Dolly and Wo-men in Black, driven by the passion and inventiveness of the participants, tutored over the year by Active Arts. Huge screens, well-produced soundscapes, and creative props and costumes added to the professional output. Favourite local comic Henning Wehn compered the show brilliantly, with dry wit and irreverence.
There were many highlights: the quirky alien puppets – including poor E.T–shown no mercy by the alien-busting CIA agents and the spellbinding nature animation accompanied by birdsong, stick in my mind. A mesmerising Boathouse dance performance, using signing, was captivating too. But it was Charlotte Dennis’s tender rendition of the song A Thousand Years that finally brought me to tears. When her last note rang out, the audience erupted, and I could feel the applause vibrating through my glass.
This is not Britain’s Got Talent. It’s about teamwork, confidence-building, exploring creativity, developing resilience and being an individual, as well as being an integral and valued part of a community – core Mencap values. And as the company sang along to the words from The Greatest Showman, ‘I make no apology – this is me,’ I stood up with the others around me to cheer them on.
Let’s Get Loud was performed at the De La Warr Pavilion on 2 July 2025. For further details of the local Mencap organisation see hastings-bexhill-mencap.org
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