Puss In Boots

Many thanks to St Anne's Parish Operatic Society for inviting me to see their pantomime, Puss in Boots, at St Thomas’ Church Hall on Saturday 6th January 2024. This being the first North West District 2 production of the NODA season, it kicked the year off in great steed. My first notable comments are more of the ethos of the society than the production. Each year SAPOS produce a pantomime and go ‘on tour’ around local churches within the St Anne’s area. Each production has a profit share with the church in which the performance is held, which to be is an honourable & admirable undertaking. My second note is the inclusivity which the society upholds, in this pantomime alone, there was a diverse array of ages, from 6 years old to those in their retirement years. This version of the story tells the tale of the King & Queen who were having to call in their debtors into order to meet the increase in financial demand from the Wicked Witch. This included Jack & his feline friend, Puss. Jack & the Princess Rosalind fall in love at first sight when they meet & Jack sets out to save the day. Guided by the Good Fairy, Puss defeats Venom the Witch, peace is restored & we all enjoy a good wedding at the end of the show. Along the way other panto-typical sequences and character are integrated for all the festive family fun you would expect. 

Direction was delivered by Paula Curtis who allowed the narrative to ebb & flow & keep the audience engaged. It was clear that Paula knew the target audience well, as the selection of song, most of which I did not recognise, had most of the hall singing along with them, which was warming to hear. Paula’s expertise was evident through utilising the space to its maximum within the confines of the stage space. Alison Thornton & Ellie Madden joined Paula to undertake the choreography, which was simple at times, but matched the level of technique of the performers, which added challenge for the more technically able featured dancers. I loved the idiosyncratic use of character throughout dance within moments like ‘Wherever You Go’ which the Princess Rosalind, Puss & Jack performed the same moves but with arms placed on dress, overemphasised & hands by sides for each of the characters, respectively. I also loved the cute addition of featuring the 2 infants undertaking their foundation ballet steps, an extremely cute addition! 

Design for this production was basic but adequate for the narrative and matched the traditional feel to the style. The set used 2 backdrop which differentiated the setting between other scenes and Venom the Witches layer. Costumes were of a traditional style but looked authentic to character and suited the production well. Lighting added simple effects as well as basic washes. Venom the Witch was always like with a rotating colour FX and integrated flashlights which projected into audience within the costume. 

Now to the cast. As an ensemble, I loved the investment of energy from the entire cast, and this highlighted the community feel of the production.  

Venom the Witch was played by Mandy Laird-Hall who was strong in this role, bringing a full vocal & physical demonstration of this character who was fully of scorn throughout. Although being moody, Mandy’s gravitas & high energy kept the mood high throughout. Her counterpart, Fairy, was played by Katey Hardy, which was gracefully played, bringing a gentle delicateness to the role. 

Jack was played by Geraldine Brown who charmingly played this principle male character & had a good rapport with the principle girl character, Princess Rosalind, was played by Sophie Dickson. Both had strong vocal performances, their duet ‘On Top of the World’ held a nice tone & had great harmonies, Sophie’s solo ‘A Perfect Year’ was sung perfectly & I was particularly with the articulation of pitch in the lower part of her register. 

Puss was played by Ciara Curtis who stole the performance for me. The first quarter of the production, this was played non-verbal, with meows and expressions which provided clear insight into Puss’ emotions & thoughts & established an element of sass to the character. Once in boots, Puss found their voice & this was played thigh-slappingly well, giving an air of Mary Poppins’ self-assured but humbling persona, which was polished with sharp gestures which looked technically placed from a dance perspective throughout the acting. 

King was played by Nic Boan, who provided great storytelling in this role & gave the character a strong & grounded persona. His Queen, the pantomime Dame, was played by David Parry who was witty & ravishing as one would expect. Expertly played in the moment, David had me belly laughing at the realness of ‘Shut the F.... Front Door.’ 

Sammy, the Silly Billy character, was plated by Ellie Madden gave a nice high energy performance with some good audience interaction & displayed good vocal talent. Other comedy roles were Thomasina, Dixie & Harriet (Aka. Tom, Dick & Harry), a triple act played by Gill Drinkwater, Alison Thornton & Lynda Hindle who delivered great comedic timing to their puns and gave dimension to their performances through over acting lines, while reacting naturalistically, which gave a nice contrast to their sections from the animation. 

Smaller parts and chorus were played by Amy Phillips, Taryn Downie, Rachel Stewart, Susan Walker, Eva Phillips, Sarah Scott, Jessica Madden, Marshal Dean, Emma Downie, Lexie Hindle & Tommy Dalton who all gave sound performances on top of what has already been said. 

Thanks again to St Anne’s Parish Operatic Society for this opportunity to provide this review. I look forward to seeing future performances from the society & wish the committee & members all the absolute best for the future. 

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