Dick Whittington

Congleton Pantomime were back on stage with their annual pantomime. This year’s offering was ‘Dick Whittington’, which was written and directed by Darren Brown. This was a traditional, family pantomime and featured many of the stock pantomime characters. Darren understands what the audience want, with plenty of local references and jokes. Darren’s version followed the classic story with Dick travelling to London to make his fortune. It would have been nice to have a magical being (like the Spirit of the Bells) as a counterpart to King Rat to really build up the good versus bad that is important to pantomime. There were some great moments of comedy throughout the pantomime, such as the Cockney rhyming slang that Tommy kept getting wrong, and the slapstick scene involving Silly Willy and the Rat Sidekicks wallpapering below deck. This was a great piece of physical comedy and was very well executed. The backdrops used were very good, transporting the audience to the different locations throughout the pantomime. The pace throughout was good, with efficient scene changes happening behind the scenes.

The musical director was Tim Sagar. There was a nice mix of songs used throughout the pantomime, some with some nicely reworked lyrics (‘Rat Out of Hell’ was inspired!). The vocals from the cast were very good throughout. Tim led his band well throughout, and they were sympathetic to the cast. They created a nice sound and it was a joy listening to them play.

Liz Cardall was back as choreographer for this year’s pantomime. Liz’s choreography suited all abilities of the cast, who performed the routines well with conviction and energy. The small troupe of dancers did well with their routines, especially the tap in Act Two.

Technical elements were well thought through throughout the production. The sound balance was spot on throughout – everything could be heard. The lighting design was good throughout, with a good use of colours used, especially the greens for King Rat.

Rosie Astbury led the wardrobe team well, with lots of delightful costumes. The animal costumes were very good, with hints of the animal being presented. The array of costumes for Connie Codswollop were a delight, as were the finale costumes.

Taking on the title role of Dick Whittington was Harry Gill. Harry had a great stage presence, displaying great confidence in the principal boy role. His vocals were very good in his numbers, especially ‘Livin on a Prayer’. Harry displayed a great knack for comedy, especially in his appearance in the rubber ring during the love duet with Alice, which had the audience in stitches.

Rob Tagell was certainly an audience favourite as Connie Codswollop. Rob was effortless in this role, proving to be a standout dame. The interactions with the audience were great, and Rob’s dry line delivery was spot on. Rob’s vocals were great throughout; leading the cast in a variety of numbers, including a great rendition of ‘Bills’. It has been a real joy watching Rob hone his craft as Congleton’s dame over the last few years – long may it continue!

Charlie House gave a very good performance as Tommy the Cat. This interpretation of the character was very much reminiscent of the Artful Dodger from ‘Oliver!’, which suited the character extremely well. Charlie’s Cockney accent was great and he sustained it throughout. The comedy from Charlie was top notch, and he proved to be a great comic character.

Mathilda Gill played Silly Willy. Mathilda did well with what was written for the character. She displayed some good comedic moments, with the highlight being the slapstick scene.

Taking on the role of King Rat was Andrew Brown. Andrew certainly got into the role of King Rat, and relished the boos from the audience. He used his voice and physicality well to present a convincing character. His interactions with the audience were very good, and he handled the heckles very well. Andrew’s vocal was good, and his rendition of ‘Bat (Rat) Out of Hell’ was good.

King Rat’s Sidekicks were played by Claire Copestick-Brown and Eugene Millington. Claire and Eugene worked well together, creating a convincing partnership, as King Rat’s Sidekicks. They worked well with Mathilda during the slapstick scene in Act Two, adding to the comedy.

Evie Tickner played Alice Fitzwarren. Evie did well in this role with what she was given. She was able to convey her feelings for Dick well, and performed their love duet, ‘Die with a Smile’, well.

Mark Bailey played Alderman Fitzwarren. Mark did well as the overbearing father of Alice. He was able to show different sides of the character well, and understood what was needed of his character in pantomime.

Tristan Segar played the Sultan. This was a nice cameo role from Tristan, and he made every moment of it. With some good facial expression, Tristan was able to convey different feelings whilst only saying one word repeatedly.

The ensemble of Chorus and Dancers did well throughout the pantomime. The ensemble provided bright vocals throughout, and the ensemble numbers were good. The Dancers performed their routines very well, appearing in various guises throughout as rats and sailors. Their tap routine was very good.

Overall, this was a very good production. There were some strong performances, the musical numbers were good, and the pantomime was a visual delight.

A big thank you to everyone at Congleton Pantomime for their kind invite and hospitality.

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