Babes in the Wood

I used to think that a Pantomime in April was a little…. un-natural. But, thanks to the wonderful Lavender Hill Mob Theatre Company I have come to realise it is (in fact) completely normal to boo, hiss and “behind you” even when it is warm and sunny. And, as I took my seat at the King’s Lynn Corn Exchange for the LHMTC 2017 offering, Babes in the Wood … that was exactly what I intended to do! Over the years I have been the Area 4 North representative, I have all but run out of admiring words to describe this wonderfully inclusive group. All ages, sizes, and abilities are completely embraced, together with directorial and musical talent any of the other groups in the region would kill for.

Once again this year, the set and scenery (Scenic Projects Ltd) was magnificent. The vast space of the Corn Exchange stage was beautifully filled with breath-taking backcloths and sundry other dressings. Lighting (Jason Elms and Ashley Mayes) was everything it needed to be and sound (Tim Rock and Scott Hunter) was perfection! Lavender Hill Mob costumes are something that blows me away every year - not just the quantity (which is staggering) but the quality as well. This year’s selection (Michelle Smith, Sue Winn and Una Rock) were no exception and made every production number look spectacular. Make-up (Luane Cott) was just the job and hair and wigs (uncredited) were flawless!

As usual the chorus was vast! I know I say it every year, but just getting them on and off stage (backstage team Michelle Smith, Carl Smith, Andy Russell and Les Miles) must require the precision of a Brexit negotiation! It very nearly goes without saying that everyone in that enormous ensemble was enthusiastic and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. A special mention for the excellent feature dancers (Lucia Seco-Abad, Kacie Burler, Lily Edwards, Alex Page and Megan Matthews) who had plenty to do and, with some excellent choreography from Zoe Adams, did it all very well.

In the supporting roles, I enjoyed George Templeman as Basil, Lauren Morano as Daisy, Chantelle Simpson as Dorothy, Josh Large as Geoffrey, Frankie Hannant as Harold, Lily Edwards as Sarah, Kacie Butler as Lisa, Richard Winn as Steven, Helen Fenton as Abigail and Sarah Newman as Jacqueline. There were also some good cameo’s from  Sarah Robinson as Police, and Carl Smith as the Fairground Barker, with the latter holding the archery contest scene together nicely. I loved the two dogs Boots and Laces, brought to life with some style by Alex Nadel and Phoebe Smith. Both had plenty of lines and looked confident throughout.

In the more prominent roles, Tom Bains and Callum Elsdon-Bird did a brilliant job as the Narrators, Demon and Angel, with Mr Elsdon-Bird really impressing me with a characterisation and a bold delivery that was one of the highlights of the whole performance. There was also a good showing from Sophia Dawson and Ellie-Mae Smith as the babes, John and Jenny, and Zoe Adams was front and centre again using her mighty stage presence to bring to life the show’s hero, William Tell.

There were a couple of things that seemed different this year to other years …. The longer running time was one, and the slightly less prominent comedy duo. Neither of these things were a problem, and having mentioned it, I have to say also that even with a little less to do, Jordan Winn as Hypo and Kerry Bensley as Dermic both gave excellent performances. The same can most certainly be said of the dubious duo of Andy Russell as Count Popalot and Amanda Norris  as Lady Cornea Popalot, who solicited plenty of the aforementioned ‘boo and hiss’, assisted by the delightful Emily Butler as Gretel.

I liked last year’s script for A Christmas Cracker a lot, but it lacked one important thing ….Michael Miles! It was fantastic to have him back this year, and to see him doing what he does best … the Dame! He has the most impressive comic timing I have seen almost anywhere, and a warm, natural stage presence that would be welcome in any pantomime. But, in a show of this type, it was superb. Mr Miles was on top form as Nurse Polly Darton (insert own joke here) and handled everything that was intentional, and few things that weren’t, with equal ease. One of the top pantomime performers in the area who just makes you feel completely relaxed as he dominates the stage. It is to him (of course) that penultimate paragraph honours are awarded once again.

My hat is not only off, but boxed and packed in the loft, as I offer my sincere congratulations to Artistic Director, Les Miles, for bringing it all together to such a high standard and also to Musical Director, Tim Rock, who managed to assemble another outstanding collection of original songs for this production. I loved everything about this show and something else that struck me as being new was the stage left BSL Signers, Vicky Reed, Kerry Bensley, Lucia Seco-Abad, Alex Page and Gabrielle Short, who operated a shift system to bring signing throughout the show. Even if it may not have been any use to me, it was emotional to watch and humbling, on almost every level. Bravo Lavender Hill Mob Theatre Company, another winner!

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