Dick Whittington

London is home to a truce between cats and their (generally) avowed prey, rats. That is, until a cat named Bruiser falls in love with Rosamund Rat, and the war-loving King Rat returns to his ‘hood from an unexpected voyage abroad with the aim of stirring the pot of animosity once more.

Clearly, the fur is about to fly again! 

And this is the scenario that a lad from the provinces who wants to make his fortune in London unwittingly steps into the middle of in Bob Hammond’s pantomime retelling of Dick Whittington.

Featuring a cast of adults, teens and children, Swavesey RADSOC’s staging of Dick Whittington was brightly lit and exquisitely costumed and made up in a Sunday (27 Jan) afternoon performance. 

From a Middle Eastern-flavoured marketplace to the deck of a sea liner and a London home’s kitchen, the locations were deftly designed by Matt Isham and Malcolm Cox to give their characters colourful settings to perform against. The kitchen included a cleverly designed oven with an inscribed joke about its temperatures, which was a nice touch. 

Playing to their performers’ strengths, directors Alan Winfield and Malcolm Cox (a busy man!) deployed regulars Phil Bailey and John Pickering as, respectively, the flamboyant dame Sara the Cook and Sara’s nitwit brother Jack. Also returning from last year were actors Sam Smethurst as the villainous -- and once again swashbuckling -- King Rat and a sparkling Olivia Balzano as Tommy the Cat, Dick Whittington’s confidante and the peacemonger in the ongoing cat v rat challenge. (Talented Olivia also created a charming illustration for the production programme’s front cover.)

Adrienne Sharman was an authoritative Alderman Fitzwarren, father of Dick’s sweet-natured love Alice (Amelia Gargiulo), with Ashleigh Tutchener, last seen as a showgirl in the Pied Pipers of Cambridge’s production of Anything Goes, acquitting herself nicely as a happy-go-lucky cheery Dick. Ian Horne benefitted from especially sparkling costumes as the hapless Prince, who must endure the attention of Sara the Cook.

Generating a number of laughs were the comedy tough-guy duo of Reggie and Ronnie Rat (bringing to mind the Krays, perhaps) played by June Hinchliffe and Di Chapman, and the gallant French rat, Roland, portrayed with a tres charmant glint in the eye and a sweeping Gallic accent by Grace Ireson. Roland’s love interest in the proceedings is Rosamund (Caroline Barratt), also the object of Bruiser (Matt Isham)’s affections and the singer of a gentle, clear rendition of ABBA’s “I Have A Dream”.

Complementing the regular cast for Dick Whittington were dancers from the Helene Taylor-Todd School of Dance who appeared sporadically during the show with their classical ballet stylings.

At this last performance for the production, the gregarious regular cast’s usual energy and spirits seemed to flag a bit. A major showcase number “In the Navy”, complete with a snappy, well-executed nautical costume and set theme, appeared under-rehearsed, with most in the number not singing whilst looking at their neighbours’ feet to follow the dance moves. In another scene, a performer argued with the prompt when the offstage voice delivered a line. The disagreement may well have been valid but any discussion should happen offstage – even if it is a panto. 

Seeing all ages come together for a production such as this is a treat and reminds us that it really does take a village to bring theatre to the stage.

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