Agatha Twisty and the Murder in Pantoland

Agatha Twisty and the Murder in Pantoland is an ambitious family whodunnit pantomime by Warren McWilliams. In principle, the idea of blending Agatha Christie style mystery with pantomime conventions is a fun one and at times, the production shows flashes of real inventiveness, particularly in its staging, visual design, and a handful of standout performances. However, the script itself proved to be the greatest challenge of the evening: it felt poorly constructed, lacked momentum, and ultimately didn’t hang together cohesively, which made the show far longer and more laboured than it needed to be.

Act One alone ran to around an hour and forty minutes, far exceeding what most audiences would reasonably expect from a pantomime, and the pacing suffered badly as a result. With firmer editorial cuts, clearer character balance, and more decisive scene transitions, the overall experience could have been significantly sharpened. That said, the company worked incredibly hard, and there was no shortage of commitment on stage. Act Two, in particular, felt more focused, with stronger energy and clearer ensemble interaction  a reminder of what this production could be with tighter control and greater cohesion.

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