Hercules The Pantomime

My visit to SPADS pantomime marks the start of “the festive” season for me.

This year’s pantomime – Hercules– was well written by talented brothers Joshua and Lewis Clarke and then directed by mum Annabel, a real family affair.

Eden Stewart as Meg the slave girl, showed how a principal girl could be feisty but at the same time had a softer side, which the audience warmed to.

Our Hero, Hercules, was ably played by Jordan Clarke, and was well matched with Meg. Their duets were a delight to listen to.

Peter Wright as Dame Ma Salata was great character and the link between her name and the audience participation was very clever indeed. Everyone joined in.

Georgio Saphiris and Jacob Powell as Pain and Panic worked extremely hard throughout the production with an energy that seemed never ending. Dialogue was slick and well delivered.

Joshua Clarke as Zak Siki added the extra comedy element and his timing was exceptional. He has the innate ability of knowing just how long to give the audience time to get a joke, before moving on. This is a skill one does automatically, it cannot be taught.

The Muses, Helen Lohan, Holly Stoten and Theresa Millar all had lovely personalities – and their characterisations were quirky and fun.

The real “bady” in this panto was “Hades” – evilly played by Kanyin Jolaosho.  There is potential here and I look forward to seeing more of this young actor.

The chorus was very enthusiastic and sang and moved well. Choreography allowed everyone to feel confident in what they were performing and the steps were well within everyone’s capabilities. 

The scenery and costumes were bright and appealing, with a great use of props.  Clearly a lot of time and effort had gone into preparation for this production.

The band, under the musical direction of Andy Hardy, provided great musical accompaniment to the production.  They played sensitively so that every word could be heard by the audience, which is very important when there is so much going on, on the stage.

My favourite number was “Shout” which brought Act One to a close. It was lively and the audience sitting near to me joined in with the vocals. There was a great atmosphere.

The audience really enjoyed themselves and there was a high energy level shown from the whole cast throughout the panto.  This made it an enjoyable experience for everyone in the audience. 

Congratulations to everyone involved in the production and thank you for your hospitality. 

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