Dick Whittington

It was good to be back in Byfleet Village Hall last week and to see your production of ‘Dick Whittington’.

The Susan Robinson School of Ballet opened the pantomime strongly and the dancing as I noted in the past was a joy to behold. They had more dance numbers this time than I’ve seen previously and some of them were perhaps a little long, but I believe that the audience, like me, were held in their thrall and enjoyed the part they played in the pantomime.

I directed ‘Dick Whittington’ myself last Christmas, albeit a different script but with many similarities, and I think it one of the better stories with some good pantomime characters for the director and cast to tackle.  

Rachel Davis gave a very natural performance as Fairy Bow Bells and appeared at ease in the role. The section in her dialogue bemoaning the fact that she had to speak in rhyme was really funny.

The baddie of the piece, King Rat, was played aristocratically by Tony Richardson whose every word could be heard and his makeup and costume were excellent.

The inclusion of two female rats was a nice addition and the girls looked good in their super red dresses.

As Alderman Fitzwarren, Nick Flux, who looked a lot older on stage than he does in the programme, which I assume was due to the skill of the makeup department --- although no one is mentioned in the programme ---- acquitted himself well in a part that is not one bursting with character. Occasionally the cues were picked up a little slowly and pace was lost.

Becky Grenander did well as Captain Cuttle and her projection and diction were very good too.

Kim Sullivan was first rate and was involved the whole time, never losing concentration as she presented a bright and lively Alice. Unfortunately some of her wonderful facial expressions were lost to the audience because her hair fell across her face and masked it from time to time.

The title role was secure in the hands of Emily Fennell who gave a confident performance.

Paul Stiff worked hard at the pivotal role of the Dame and as Sarah the Cook he looked quite magnificent in his gowns. The mop cap was a bit of a problem as he had a tendency to lower his head which meant his face couldn’t be seen properly and making projection less easy too.

As Tommy the Cat, Craig Marshall made a lovable Tomcat and his singing voice was good.

You were fortunate to be able to cast a man in the role of the Sultan of Morocco( I had to have a Sultana!) and Daryn White did well in the part although as Sultan he could have been a little more commanding in his dialogue and maybe adopted an accent – he looked fabulous!

Steve Moore gave an enthusiastic performance as Idle Jack and worked hard to involve the audience but I thought that the response expected from the audience was inappropriate. There were a lot of children present and a less suggestive one could have been chosen.

The choice of musical numbers was good and they were clearly well-rehearsed. They added much to the overall presentation and I was pleased that you didn’t feel the need to cut them short.

Notable were ‘Making Your Mind Up’ and ‘In the Navy’, both with excellent choreography.

The backcloths were all attractive and colourful and set the scenes well. The underwater one with the ballet was lovely.

There were some memorable moments in the pantomime and for me ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ was absolutely the best one. Alice, Idle Jack and Dick worked their socks off running around the stage and I was in hysterics. Brilliant and well done!

Linda’s use of the centre aisle worked well too and brought the pantomime out into the audience which of course is what pantomime is all about and what the audience love.

Sweets were handed out early on in the proceedings, unusual and a good idea, and it was also a nice touch to line the cast up in the foyer at the end to say goodbye to people as they left the hall.

One suggestion I would make is that if you only have a small number of chorus then don’t stand them centre back as they can’t be seen because of the principals at the front. Position them to the sides in groups where they’ll fill the stage more and also be seen.

Sound effects were good as was the lighting and the storm was very realistic on both fronts.

Your programme is impressive, the cover eye catching and the contents nicely presented. I would have suggested that you enter it in the NODA poster/programme competition but a requirement is that the NODA crest is displayed and so it would not qualify for entry.

There are a couple of corrections. The musical ‘Rent’ should start with a capital R and Pickering also a capital P.

The first BP pantomime I saw was 12 years ago and bore no resemblance to the one I saw this time. I enjoyed it, as did my grandchildren who were mesmerised, and there’s no doubt at all that the audience had a good time.

Thank you for inviting me and I wish you all a very happy 2015.

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