Hercules the Pantomime

The main stage showed the ambiance of ancient Greece and we were suddenly overwhelmed by the 13 piece orchestra in the moderately small performance space. This was very much a young company production with a vibrant if somewhat over ambitious production team at times. The scene was set by the highly talented Hades, beautifully Muses who guided us through the story had style, panache and powerful vocals too and were a joy to behold. Comedy was presented in a gentle fashion by the cute Ma Salata and her son Zak Siki in human form and more zany immortal  Lethal and Bizzle in crazy head gear, there was a real leaning towards the Disney presentation of Hercules and these two characters had a really familiar vibe to them. Meg had a level of sass about her and sang with poise and confidence and matched her Hercules perfectly, the onstage rapport was just right. This is a new script which seems to have been created with the company in mind and this gave lots of opportunities for Musical Theatre and this was embraced by the young director/ choreographer and he had stretched the performer’s skills and stage experiences. Set was simple but highly effective and a special mention must go to the fabulous puppet dragon, some real creativity on show here. Costumes were stylishly ancient Greek and colour and gentle tones enhanced the overall feel of the show. The technical team supported the company with professionalism as always.

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