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 feel far longer and more laboured than it needed to be.

Act One, recorded by the stage manager at approximately 1 hour 26 minutes, felt long on the night and impacted the overall pacing of the production. While audience participation and ad-libbing undoubtedly contributed, the rhythm still suffered. Given the inherent wordiness of the script and its natural run time, firmer editorial cuts would, in my view, have greatly benefited clarity, momentum, and sustained audience engagement.

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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