Dick Whittington

Dick Whittington was a huge production with a cast of 50, with the youngest members of the company aged around five.  Just marshalling that size of company is a feat in itself, but the show also went through some very impressive song-and-dance routines, with excellent choreography from Rebecca Philpott (assisted by Faye Anteney) and some very athletic performances from the cast.  As often happens in panto, the romantic leads (Alfie Potter in the title role and Olivia Fisher as Alice) played second fiddle to the more boisterous “goodies”, notably the dame (Lewis Philpott) and Idle Jack played by Ollie Uglow who was particularly good at working - and occasionally mopping - the kids in the audience.  There was further comic work from Captain Cuttlefish (Owen Hawes) and his barely seaworthy first mate Scupper (Natasha Cope), chartered by Alderman Fitzwarren (Simon Virgo) for a trip to Morocco and a meeting with the Sultan (Emily Rose-Mould, who was well wicked).

This was my first visit to the Berry Theatre, and there were interesting technical aspects to the presentation, with lights mounted on the sides of the proscenium arch avoiding light spill through the gauze that provided the opening dramatic reveal from the prologue into scene one.  I felt that the production missed a standard pantomime trick at the end of the second act.  There was, of course, a community song (in this case led by Dolly Dumpling and Idle Jack).  Part of the point of that structure is to allow the romantic leads to change into wedding clothes for the walk-down, but in this case the opportunity was passed over.

Hannah Autenay as Tom the Cat had splendid make-up and a prosthetic nose.  Unfortunately, this severely restricted her range of facial expressions, but her movement was excellent.  The other notable prosthetics - nose and ears - belonged to Ben Smart as King Rat, the villain of the piece.  He was part rat, part gangster, with a tail poking out from the back of a long leather coat.  His was a lovely growling, sneering performance, occasionally backed by a company of small rats, and opposed by a very business-like Fairy Bow Bells (Cathy Pearce). 

Altogether a very joyful production with some fine singing from the youthful cast.

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