Once Upon a Time in Pantoland

This was an alternative script for HCTC’s return to the stage this year but was certainly well tailored to the members of the Company.

All the expected well- known names from Pantoland were there but all were very glum and down in dumps – oh yes they were!

Aladdin was unhappy with his magic carpet, Peter Pan wanted to grow up, King Charming had lost his Cinderella and Snow White wished that she had eaten the poisoned apple after all!

With a sparkly magic fountain set down stage right the Spirit of Pantomime, in a beautiful rainbow skirt, entered to set the scene and proceeded efficiently to keep the audience up to speed throughout.

The curtains opened to a brightly painted village scene and a full stage with all the characters interacting naturally and going about their business in the marketplace.

 Tallulah Tickle quickly established her presence and was most definitely a “bloke in a frock”! She played a mean trumpet and was well supported by son Tommy in the “Silly Billy” Role. Daughter Tily was the heroine of the piece, in love with Prince Harry she was initially shy and retiring but came up trumps in the end and displayed a feisty spirit to save the day and win her “man”.

PC Potter did his best with crowd control ably assisted by his delightful dog Baxter in a terrific costume, and with wonderful expressions, woofs, and whimpers!

Poor lonely King Charming had great stage presence together with a magnificent crown, and his solo number was very well performed. It was good to see the tradition of Principal Boy kept with the talented young lady as Prince Harry who sang and danced with confidence.

The “piece de resistance” of the production though simply had to be Mouldywart the miserable, plotting to get rid of both the King and the Spirit and bring doom and gloom to Pantoland, aided and abetted along the way by her sidekick Snitch the Cat, who moved gracefully and with lovely expressions. 

At the end of Act I the action switched to the Fairy Academy, reminiscent of Hogwarts, where the reprobates were hoping to enlist the help of the Fairy Grandmother. This gave opportunity for a typical schoolroom scene with all the usual corny jokes, and great fun was enjoyed all round.

The Fairy Grandmother was resplendent, dressed in tweeds topped with sparkly net, together with a “Madge Mobile” (from Benidorm), Zimmer Frame, and accompanied by a most efficient PA.

Act II opened to a stunning scene in the Witch’s Lair. The prisoners were incarcerated in the Castle Dungeons, and Tommy was dispatched to poison the magic fountain.

As in all pantomimes there had to be a happy ending. Luckily PC Potter and the trusty Baxter came to the rescue, Mouldywart was persuaded to change her ways, Snitch joined the ranks of the Pantoland police and Tily capably restored happiness to the village.

Overall, this was a very busy show and certainly was a patchwork of a lot of other pantomimes, with bits taken from here and there, incorporating all the expected jokes and slapstick scenes.

Two small points but some of the routines perhaps went on just that little bit too long, and after the opening there was a lot of dialogue before we were treated to another song. However, the audience certainly warmed up for the ghost and “it’s behind you,” and the always popular interactive scene before the finale got everyone to their feet!

The four-piece band accompanied everything sympathetically from downstage left, lighting and sound was effective and there were some great sound effects.

The choreography all round was excellent, and the dancing Cow was particularly impressive – well done those two! All the costumes were first-rate and well chosen for the characters, with the prisoners, the witch’s minions and the “Harry Potter” robes standing out especially.

As is usual with this Society the production had a great “company” feel, and it is always so good to see so many young people involved, learning from those more experienced and being encouraged and trusted in principal roles – oh yes it is!

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what they see at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance, and it is inevitable that their assessment will be affected by that knowledge.

The N.O.D.A. Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular the performance viewed.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

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