Around the World in 80 Days

Is it a panto or isn’t it? The age-old question echoed around the Haslingfield Little Theatre as the audience settled in for “Around the World in 80 Days”. When I was asked to review this new production, written and directed by Phil Chapman—a member of the group—I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. With the festive season upon us, was this going to be a classic family-friendly play or a traditional pantomime? In the end, it turned out to be a bit of both, and I have to say, it was one of the most inventive panto scripts I’ve seen on an amateur stage.

The familiar tale follows Phileas Fogg, who bets £20,000 that he can travel round the world in just 80 days. This made for a perfect panto backdrop, whisking us through a parade of countries and colourful characters, and providing a brilliant opportunity for a cast of all ages to shine. From the start, we’re introduced to Inspector Fix (Matt Dye), a dodgy Scotland Yard sergeant who’s pinched £20,000 from a bank and is determined to pin the blame on poor Phileas Fogg (Helen Brammar). Cue an epic chase across the globe! Of course, Fogg needs a faithful servant—cue Passpartout (Zak Bowyer), a “French-Cockney” comic sidekick. Before long, Millicent Fogg (Laura Wylie), Phileas’s doting mother, joins the adventure to keep an eye on her child. Though not the traditional Dame, she filled that classic panto role with real flair. Rounding out the main cast was the Princess (Natalie Gillies). All five leads gave lively, memorable performances that really brought Chapman’s concept to life.

A special mention has to go to the comedy duo “Back” (Andy Walker) and “Up” (Judith Brammar). They popped up as police in France, gondoliers in Italy, and even relatives in the Wild West. Their running gags and the fact that they were all distant cousins were a stroke of genius, and their comic timing stitched the show together wherever in the world we happened to be.

Other standout characters appeared throughout the journey: Ranger Barbie (Sally Ricketts) in Australia, Justice Jules (Nathan Dickinson) in the Wild West, and Captain Nemo (Tom Hoeksma) aboard the boat back to Blighty. Each brought their own brand of humour and energy, keeping the audience grinning throughout.

The show was packed with chases of every kind—there was even a “Kapow!”-filled comic book sequence and a hilarious steeplechase on hobby horses, which had everyone in stitches. But my personal highlight was the chase on top of a moving train, like something from a Mission Impossible movie, portrayed with puppets and voiceovers from Inspector Fix and Millicent Fogg. Utterly brilliant.

Being a home-grown script, there were plenty of nods to classic panto conventions, including chorus singalongs, but not so often that they slowed the pace. Instead, we were treated to clever teases, like the corrupt sergeant’s repeated attempts to sing “This is my moment”, only to be cut off by the sounds of trains and boats. Simple, but so effective, and it kept the comedy fresh.

There were plenty of one-liners, audience participation, and good old-fashioned family fun. A special shout-out to Ben Cadman who played a variety of supporting roles, including the Parisian fashion show diva—he was a real crowd-pleaser! The younger members of the cast, too, shone with their energetic “read all about it!” newsboy moments, delivered with confidence and charm.

But the real star of the evening was the script itself. Clever, tightly structured, and full of witty jokes and well-placed cultural references, it never took itself too seriously and even poked fun at the backstage goings-on with tongue-in-cheek asides. The set, as always at Haslingfield, was imaginative and well-crafted, helping transport us from country to country with ease.

I had the chance to chat with Phil Chapman after the show and reminisce about his earlier performance in ‘Curious Incident’—another highlight of the year. Phil, you’ve given so much to Haslingfield Little Theatre both on stage and off, and this production is a real credit to your creativity. Well done to the whole cast and crew for a show that was as clever as it was entertaining and bravo to Phil Chapman.

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