Dick Whittington

NOM’s annual Panto is an established event that fills their seats with an audience and expectations that they work to fullfil. Their version of Dick Whittington this year gave the full panto show with slapstick pies in face, song competition, water sprays, sweeties, and “behind you” chase as well as full colourful costumes, twinkly fairy, nasty baddie, cute cat, principal songs, and a chorus that excelled.  The musical numbers with chorus were always costumed beautifully in varied styles, choreography to suit styles and really well rehearsed and executed well done all and to choreographers Marie Turnbull, Alice Maenami and Lesley Maenami.  The set was static and colourful in traditional style, lighting was well designed and operated, sound was well cued, radio mics at times very varied quality, but overall well controlled.

Lead role of Dick was played by Emma Glen whose principal boy role was expertly performed and nice singing with duets, and supported by Tom the Cat  from Tom Milton who has such a flare for these character animal roles with great animation is a joy to watch. King Rat was the dastardly villain, booed accordingly, well played by Matthew Allan, Fairy Bowbells was gracefully elegant from Karen Coates each with their rhyming prose, flashes, smoke and lighting effects throughout the evening. Alderman Fitzwarren played by Andrew Buchanan was the gentry gent and his daughter Alice played very sweetly by Beth Coates who sang and danced beautifully.  The comedy roles of Idle Jack the hapless lazy boy, played by Marty Maenami with good energy, the Dame Dolly Dumpling played by Jill Stephenson who had several songs nicely sung and the costumes that were numerous, outlandish, and topical and a role played with gusto.  Captain Cuttlefish (Jeff Sturdy)  and his mate Scupper (Craig Samson) added more corny jokes and lovely characters, and the guards of the palace, Colin Conroy and Bill Edwards, as their cavemen cameos also were well done. The Sultan of Morocco played by Keith Lewis gave a very convincing Moore king and nicely costumed.

The dedication, efforts and talents in this theatre group is second to none with lovely voices, great dancing, and comedy moments that gave a very enjoyable, if very long evening. NOM well done once again.

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