Puss in Boots

The script for this version of Puss in Boots is an original by Jon Dixon who has played The Dame in professional theatre and, after seeing last year’s panto. at The Priory, handed his script for this pantomime to director Beccy Gilmore before leaving.  His is a version of Puss in Boots full of song, dance, humour, slapstick and fun (as Beccy says in the programme) with many more characters than usual, hence more performers onstage. 

We are in traditional pantomime territory with “principal boy”, Helen Bowman playing Max the Miller’s son and Erin Kerr is Princess Penny.  They fall in love at first sight, to the dismay of King Tynely (Jon Mills) who clearly thinks the match inappropriate but reckons without the influence of several characters, mainly Puss in Boots.  Puss (without boots) is Roxy Jones but, after the intervention of a Magic Cobbler (Anne Hogg), Puss transmogrifies into a rather taller, svelte Puss (Rachel Hardy) having donned a pair of magic boots which wouldn’t look out of place in Kinky Boots!

This new Puss displays considerable cunning, handy when it becomes necessary to dispose of a tiresome and odious Ogre called Coldheart (Dave Cooper) by turning his magic upon himself and making quite a meal of him.  What would a pantomime be without a Dame, in this case Dame Dora (Stu Bowman)?  And a comedy duo, Kitty and Katty (Fraire Armstrong and Brooke Milburn).  And the audience’s best friend, Simple Simon (Alex Heppell), who has a tendency to (intentionally) get her lines back to front at the most inappropriate times.

There is a moment when Puss becomes bootless and back in original form, in Catland, there meeting the Queen of Catland (Judith Bell) but is, thankfully, reunited with the boots, svelte figure and that opportunity to devour the Ogre in mouse form.  This moment brings all plot lines back together.  The King is very pleased about everything and Max and the Princess are happily reunited.

There is much music throughout, particularly from the Princess and Max; much broad, pantomime humour from Dame Dora, Kitty & Katty and Simple Simon; and finally I must, mention the choreography performed by the impressive young dancers from the Stages School of Dance. Well executed, each dance number added much to the overall impression and helped make this a warm, enjoyable show.  A great effort from a hard working team both onstage and behind the scenes results in an amusing, engaging pantomime which sends the audience home with a smile on its collective face.

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