Aladdin

It’s the first time I have seen a Blyth pantomime and I came away from the evening with a very large smile on my face – which is exactly how a pantomime should make you feel. From the very old jokes to the ad libs when things were going a little sideways, to the audience participation when we eventually remembered what we were supposed to be saying, all the classic elements of pantomime were evident throughout the night.

I’m not going to try to tell the story of Aladdin as let’s face it – we all know what that is (oh yes we do), but rather call out some of the highlights of the night from cast, crew and staging alike.

No pantomime is complete without a great Dame and Malcolm Pike certainly pulled out all the stops as Widow Twankey ably assisted by a “thigh slappin” Katie Lucas as Alladin and George Earle as a fun packed Wishee Washee complete with ad-libs and occasional forgetting of catch-phrase

Poppy Rigby clearly enjoyed herself as Princess Mandarin as did Martin Farthing who delivered probably the most over the top, self-aware, Abanazar I have seen in many a year, complete with occasionally inadvertent double-entendre and “boo-hiss” encouragement of the audience.

Chloe Coulson, Christopher Beswick, Lily Alder, Julie Arnold, Joseph Carroll and Judith Earle all provided great support to the action throughout the evening and then we come to Tracey McVann and Becky Nelson…..   

This has to be one of the highest energy comic policeman double acts I have ever seen in community theatre pantomime. Tracey and Becky delivered some of the best blend of the corniest jokes, audience participation, unscripted corpseing, line swapping and dance moves I have seen anywhere.  Their enjoyment was infectious and had the audience (adults and children alike) in stitches all night.  There was one point where I lost the ability to breath through the laughter…  

So, all in all a great night at a great village pantomime that engaged the audience, added just the right amount of local in-jokes, but did not exclude any non-Blyth folk. Congratulations Debs and Barry, I never cease to be amazed as what is possible in the confined spaces of the Memorial Hall, but this was an evening of organised chaos that I thoroughly enjoyed thanks to all at Blyth Players.

Martin Holtom

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