PantoMania

PantoMania was an evening of pantomime in various forms and joined together by narrator Helen Carter. The action included ‘Every panto that ever was in 15 minutes’, Cinderella on its head (a version of Cinderella not explored before) and a goodies versus baddies game of University Challenge, called Universally Challenged.  

The set was impressive and changed quite a bit. The kitchen set was very detailed and I loved the cow theme curtains and the portrait of the cow was inspired.   The props were numerous and well sourced and used. A huge amount of work had gone into some props which only appeared for one scene or song, such as the P A N T O sign.

The costumes were excellent and there were masses of them and lots of quick changes took place, sometimes just a wig or a prop signifying a character change.  These were ingenious, very effective and ranged from Dumpling’s cow suit, a Little Red Riding Hood, various panto characters, Dame’s costumes and fantastic platform shoes!   

There was much to enjoy in this pantomime. The talent and enthusiasm of the performers was evident throughout. The cast gave some amusing performances, particularly strong was Dillon McLean who was delightful especially when emphasising that he was Peter Pan and not Robin Hood!  There were some spirited performances especially from other characters including Pari McLean as Buttons singing ‘You’ve got a friend in me’. This panto had local references (The Raven and the Basingstoke Gazette), slapstick (some pie throwing) and lots of corny jokes. It also had a satirical play on words and the ridiculousness of some stories and this brought forth much laughter. Well done Hook on a tremendous effort brought together by Director, Hazel Bonnin-Barkham and all with live music by the small and talented band.   

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