A Right Pantomime

SNADS’ live band created just the right atmosphere with a lively overture packed with popular songs and panto favourites, through to the happy song finale.  Full credit to the percussionist for exercising control throughout so as not to dominate.

Without focusing on any traditional story as a whole, the home-written script deftly introduces a host of panto characters; cleverly  disjointed, the plot is full of surprising connections and convolutions.  Like many a good pantomime it is also full of innuendo, with numerous topical and local references and double-entendres, so that the audience found jokes to be enjoyed on all levels, and with Dill and Doh as the comedy duo, the Duck Inn pub and a sadistic, chain-wearing Sheriff named Christian, it might almost be titled ‘Fifty Shades of Panto’.

Jack was played with enthusiasm, and after some nicely-sung duets and solos, (highlights ‘This is It’, ‘You’re the One that I Want’ and ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’) a grumpy (rather than sugary) Cinderella finally agrees to marry him.  A very relaxed Widow Twankey wafts through the show in gorgeous costumes, hunting the corrupt Sheriff, whose relishing of all things malicious makes him irresistible.  The Sheriff’s guards are a strange combination of one extrovert and one introvert, barely interacting with each other, while Dill and Doh are played as a comedy duo, dragging an old washing-machine disguised as a cow (did I see the eyes move?).  The Lucky Cow (or Geraldine), is a gentle creature, who would have benefited from being introduced to the audience as a character in her own right in the early part of the show, to encourage the audience to respond and empathise with her.  It is good to see so many young people involved, and there was bags of energy from the ensemble, with a bright and breezy opening number transporting us to pantoland.  A young Cat flits across the stage and we are all delighted when at last she rejoins her owner.  The Lost Boys are very disciplined onstage and win the audience over with ‘A Hard Knock Life’, while the well-organised adult  chorus present some very smart and humorous interludes, so that choreography is quite a highlight of the show, with the chorus songs lifting the action from the outset and bringing it to a lively conclusion with ‘Somebody’s Getting Married’.

‘A Right Pantomime’ is packed with panto gags: a comedy fight scene; audience participation; a community song; the clever use of brooms; an exploding washing machine and a brilliant Maypole and Morris dance to ensnare the Sheriff.  With a lovely watercolour forest cloth reminiscent of a storybook, the impressive set is full of humorous local references. 

Congratulations, SNADS, for nurturing local talent to produce a happy and authentic community event.

 

 

 

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