Dick Whittington
Information
- Date
- 14th January 2017
- Society
- Downham Amateur Dramatic Society (DADS)
- Venue
- Downham Market Town Hall
- Type of Production
- Pantomime
- Director
- Carrie-ann Lister
- Musical Director
- Kathy Philipot
- Choreographer
- Della-Marie Reed
I know it’s a cliché’ but what can I say…. Could it really have been a year since Tom Tree’s epic (3 acts for goodness sake) production of Sleeping Beauties? To be honest it was towards the end of March by the time the curtain finally came down but it had been worth the time invested as it was amongst the best of Downham’s recent crop of Pantomimes.
Many things were different this year. A new Director and a lot less of the regulars on stage. I was breathless with excitement as John Roust met me at the door. The man is a gentleman and a legend, I really enjoyed our pre show chat and our interval reminisce; along with his lovely wife they make the Downham theatre experience amongst the most pleasurable in the area and I just can’t imagine it without them. This time out it was Dick Whittington with a tongue in cheek 1980’s motif. It was all to play for as I took my seat in a pleasingly full Downham Town Hall auditorium.
The set (Design by Steve Harper) was everything it needed to be with costumes (Jan Roust) very much the same. Hair and Make-up (uncredited) were just the job and incidental props (uncredited) causing me no offence what so ever. Sound (Jamie Robinson) was very slick and lighting (Charlie Green) could not be faulted. I loved the extensive use of Special Effects (Roy Claydon) even if the pyro’s made me jump every time.
The Chorus were enthusiastic throughout, even if they looked a little bewildered at times with some good work from Emma Broad, Emily Sargent, Toby Melia, Harriet Melia and Michelle Warman. There was also a superb cameo from Downham regular Chris Daymond who did a brilliant job as the gorilla. They were all helped along nicely by some basic choreography from Della-Marie Reed.
In the supporting cast I enjoyed Sam Miles as Ensign Checkout, Daisy-May Lister as Ensign Fonda, Lee Clifton as Mr Spook with a scene steeling cameo from Kacey Welland as Lt Scotty McTavish. Jack Lister worked hard as Captain Berk but struggled with his lines at times. Amongst the adult supporting cast Christina Rix made a nice job as the Wasir and Carrie-Ann Lister was all about as Sultan Jay-Har (Ewing).
In the more prominent roles Megan Blakemore did a good job with Tommy the Cat and Edward Taylor and Pam Purple solicited plenty of boo and hiss as evil henchmen (Henchrats) Ratchet and Scratchet.I am told I have seen Marcus Mallett on this stage before but truthfully I didn’t remember him. In the role of Idle George (Boy George) he delivered an excellent characterisation and his ongoing narcolepsy was an enduring running gag.
It’s always a pleasure to see Chloe Philipot in any production, and as the romantic lead Alice Fitwatterman she could not be faulted. The script didn’t give her much to work with but her beautiful singing voice was worth the ticket price alone. Another Downham regular who never lets you down is Natalie Mills. She generally leans towards the dark side and characters don’t come much darker than King Rat. Mrs Mills was confident and sure footed as she stirred up the audience at every possible opportunity.
In a production where the script was weak in the comedy department, Steve Harper certainly elevated the role of Alderman Fitzwaterman to that of comic lead. Indeed the biggest laugh of the night came as he inadvertently hoisted his night shirt in an altercation with a microphone wire. He handled the intentional comedy as easily as he did the unintentional and was certainly the glue that held this production together.
There were three really good performances in this production and saving (as ever) the best for last I must make mention of wonderful Della-Marie Reed as Principle Boy Dick Whittington she looked great, sounded wonderful and was ready to take on the audience when required. Truly a class act and a joy to watch. With a lot of the 80’s references going way over the heads of most of the audience I was so impressed with Janet Stafford as Madge, the Fairy Bow Bells. She had a mountain of difficult rhyming dialogue which she delivered with barely a hitch. This was combined with an enchanting characterisation that she kept going right up to the final curtain. Even when the audience were getting restless and began to turn on her, she stuck to it like a pro.
Mrs Stafford was a real contender, but penultimate paragraph honours must go to Robert Hornett as Dame Delia Dumplings. I can’t remember the last time I saw a dame have so few comedy lines and the set pieces were exceedingly dry and toe curlingly long. Mr Hornett still managed to show his class even if his face seemed to say “I’m an amateur celebrity, get me out of here”.
The bottom line is that this was a pale imitation of last year’s offering. Every bit as long … but nowhere near as funny or as polished. I say well done to debutante Director Carrie-Ann Lister for a brave effort, but I think that I would rather let a novice loose on a musical than a Panto. It is so much more difficult than everyone thinks. The tortuously long kitchen scene was all the evidence I needed, and I kept thinking if it’s not funny … cut it down or cut it out. My compliments to Musical Director Kathy Philipot for bringing home some difficult 80’s music but when I saw her at the end I felt that she knew what this review was going to say.
As a post script (and not at all an additional paragraph) I have to mention what happened after the pantomime had finished. I took the opportunity to do something I have never had to do before and one of the hardest things a NODA Rep can do. I asked to see society Chairman Richard Abel to try and explain to him how his society could have been responsible for putting on the best Downham production I have ever seen (Little Shop Of Horrors) and not even get a NODA nomination. That production was so far above their usual standard I had to keep reminding myself where I was and it truly was right up there with the output of the more established musical societies. There are only 3 nominations and this one came fourth, by the slenderest of margins. Mr Abel was gracious of course, but they must have been gutted. I am so sorry Downham it was brilliant!
© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.