Dick Whittington

This was my first visit to write a report for your pantomime, thank you for your warm welcome. It was lovely to see that your show was well supported by a full house.

The hall was set out with flat and raked seating, the lighting and sound was controlled from the back of the seats. A curtained stage was set up with steps to the auditorium stage right and an exit stage left. It was decorated with a cut out tree and what looked like a mileage stump.

A dedication to the writer of your script was lovely and I’m sure that the hospice will be grateful for your donation.

The lighting was rudimentary and enhanced some of the scenes but I did feel that at times parts of the stage under lit. The UV scene worked extremely well. The music was varied and played at an appropriate level.

The stage was set with various backdrops and flats which were carefully decorated to depict the different scenes. The backstage crew managed the changes well. I thought the transition from the dockside to on deck worked well. The props were appropriate and handled well by the cast.

The costume team had worked hard to ensure that all the outfits were well fitting and appropriate for the scenes. I appreciated the work in Fairy Bowbell’s and Tommy’s costumes and the inventive outfits in the UV and Taiko drumming sequences. Many congratulations.

It was lovely to see a wide range of ages on stage; pantomime is often the first chance for cast and chorus members to perform in front of an audience. It is a great first learning platform from which they can develop their stage craft. Therefore, it is important that they learn about pace and attack to drive the story forward.  I did feel that pace of the show was slow at times and there were many empty stage moments between scenes. Maybe this could be developed when you are rehearsing your next show.

The singing was tuneful and well-rehearsed, all those involved in the chorus numbers smiled and knew their words. The choreographer created some difficult eye-catching routines which those involved performed extremely well. The UV underwater dance was delightful. Often the UV part of the costume is not seen by the audience but those involved had been well drilled and we saw the images continually. A highlight of the show.

King Rat burst onto the stage with his minions to booing and hissing from the audience. He had good clear diction and interacted well with the members of the public.

We were then introduced to Fitznicely, who appeared to be in charge in her different disguises. Her delivery was sometimes a little quiet, remember to keep the volume up and position yourselves carefully on the stage. Her sidekick Snug’s diction was loud and clear she was constantly with Fitznicely trying to ensure she didn’t break rules. They worked together well on stage even when under King Rat’s power, a good partnership.

Dick Whittington strode confidently onto the stage, she looked the part, had a tuneful voice and great stage presence. She interacted well with those she was paired with and did a great job of dispatching King Rat. Congratulations

A beautifully attired Fairy Bowbell delivered her rhyme with a good clear voice and turned believably into a signpost. She kept her calm presence during the show and ensured good conquered evil. Her costume was ideal for the delivery of the “Lambeth Walk”. Well done.

With Fairy Bowbell’s help Tommy exploded onto the stage to help Dick find the fortune that was eventually due to him.  This part was played with great characterisation, a grimace, a turn of the head, a strike with a paw and a good left hook. The costume and make up enhanced her portrayal. A brilliant performance.

Dick then travelled to London and we met up with his future employer Alderman Fitzwarren. This part was played with a lot of gravitas by your cast member. She had a good clear authoritarian voice and tried hard to control her employees and daughter with varying degrees of success. One thing that did confuse me was her Northern accent. I listened carefully when she listed all her job hoping they would explain it but to no avail. I thought the routines with the invisible desk were great especially during the fight, although some other members of the cast obviously forgot it was there. Great performance.

We were then introduced to the Alderman’s workforce. Sarah the cook was a larger than life character and had some great lines which were delivered with style. She had a good stage presence and tried to control Idle Jack.  Congratulations.

The actor portraying Idle Jack was the stand out member of cast in this production. She had a dower expression which was maintained throughout the show. She had great comedy timing and quick responsive apparent ad libs. Her delivery of all the corny jokes was excellent.  The interaction between her and Sarah was believable and they sang tunefully and moved well. An outstanding performance.

The young lady who played Dick’s love interest, Alice Fitzwarren, gave a convincing portrayal. She kept her kind manner with other members of the cast she worked with throughout the show and managed to get her own way with her brusque father. The interaction with Dick was credible.

Nikos exploded onto the stage like a force of nature and because of his great characterisation of the Greek Taverna proprietor all those on stage raised their game. The pace of the show immediately increased.   His accent was great right through his scene a superb performance.

The final acting member of your cast was the Queen of Greece, this may only have been a small part but the actor who enacted it did so with a royal demeanour and clear diction. Well done.

It was lovely to see everybody had their own bows so the audience could show their appreciation and the use of streamer cartridges added to the children’s excitement. Well done to all involved.

 

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