Dick Whittington

It’s Panto time again and what a great thing to see on the lead up to Christmas on a wet and windy night.  Fun and laughter from start to finish, we were thoroughly entertained by this very talented cast. Making use of the space with a simple backdrop and circular stage area, Runway captured all the fantastic elements of the panto fun. With an open performance space, the room was used well, and the overall production was enhanced with good lighting and sound. We were taken on a journey from London to Millport and back, catching up with all the characters along the way. Dick Whittington, played by Adam Stewart kept us on track with his journey through lovely vocals and storytelling. Nicola McKay’s portrayal of Tommy The Cat was agile, and her feline movements were spot on. Angela Cameron in the role of Queen Rat was suitably menacing and nasty and wowed us with her strong vocals. Fairy Beau Bells played by Challum Brown added warmth and magic to the story with his kind-heartedness. Neal MacCowan as Alderman Fitzwarren held great characterisation throughout the show with his own personal flair. Sarah The Cook, the fabulous dame, was played by Blair Ledgerwood-Cruikshank. I lost count of the many costume, wig and shoe changes. However, it is fair to say that he handled them all with great aplomb and ease. Engagement and interaction with the audience was first class and his comedy timing excellent. One of the many highlights in his performance was the memorable shop scene! Caitlin King brought a sweet contrast as Alice Fitzwarren. Her singing and acting added great dynamics to the performance. Katy Devine’s Idle Jack provided plenty of laughs, while Gerard McKane (First Mate Malky Mackeral) and Pamela McCann (Technician Tilly Trout) worked well together, contributing joy and humour throughout the show. Catherine MacKenzie, as the Mayor of Millport, captivated the audience with her impressive singing. The band was well balanced, and it was great to hear a good mix of modern songs and traditional pantomime music throughout the production. As always, we got the chance to sing along which is always good fun at a panto. The ensemble singing and dancing was excellent, ensuring a smooth flow throughout the performance, making great use of the playing space. The production team brought us another fantastic panto with wonderful music and singing under the musical direction of David Dunlop, and slick choreography and direction from Greg Robertson, ably supported by Nicola MacKay in the role of assistant choreographer.

Another great Runway panto!

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