Rapunzel

When you visit Maulden Players The first thing you notice is their sense of community; their village hall positively buzzes with excitement, everybody seems to know each other and the atmosphere is alive with a high expectation into which you are quickly drawn. So, their annual pantomime is very much part of the community calendar with their auditions this year over subscribed which, I was told, had thirty five actors vying for the main parts,  and not unsurprisingly all performances were quickly sold out. The director’s note in the programme says she could have cast it three times over.

This year’s offering, Rapunzel was a departure for Maulden from their usual home written ones and was a bought in script by Tom Whalley and was directed by first timer, Amber Richardson. Amber is clearly a lady with a vision she carried out with some authority for as the Producers notes says, ‘My mantra became “What Amber wants Amber gets!”’ I suspect after this offering it certainly won’t be her last pantomime!

One slightly sad development for Maulden was the retirement of stalwart organist, Ron Chimes who together with his keyboard has been the solo musical performer for the society for much longer than the nine years I have been their NODA representative. So this year in deference to Ron we still had his opening the show signature tune, ‘Time is Tight,’ but only as a recording. We wish him a long and Happy retirement. So this year we had sequenced music, which worked fairly well.

The stage at Maulden is very small by comparison to many though the scenery designer, Marion Hynes with some help from art student Maisie Collins had certainly gone to town with a fabulous array of scenes from the Royal  Palace to the Wicked Wood to Dame Fanny’s salon  and a wonderfully named ‘Gothel’s Back Passage!’ Yes, well, moving swiftly on -  The centrepiece however had to be Rapunzel’s very impressive and imposing tower built on the forestage by Dave Joy.  Very professional looking structure.

Sound and lighting by Mark Sheppard and Nick Endacott were excellent, but when the show first started and the first solo was sung I initially though that face mics could have been used, but as it progressed whatever the teckies did that was soon corrected and all was crystal clear. But this was the opening night, so credit in sorting it out so quickly.

Costumes, well sourced by Norma Henderson were of course very vibrant, and well thought out. Particularly for the two fairies, Pink for our good Fairy Dandruff and Black for the evil Mother Gothel, Regal Red cloak for King Bouffant whilst Dame Fanny Follicle’s array of outrageous dresses were brilliantly over the top. The younger members of the cast playing the Nits and the vines were also well kitted out in their hooded suits.

Wigs by Norma Henderson, with the Dames wigs source by Lauren Chimes deserves a specially mention especially the array of different coloured wigs in the Salon scene which really did off set the vibrant costumes perfectly. The incredible Hair-o-matic 2000 chair prop was made by Maise Collins. Nice job! And not to forget the props department, Norma Henderson, Marion Hynes and Amber Richardson who sourced, amongst many things, the long length of hair thrown out of the tower to facilitate ‘climbing’ into the tower, aka onto the stage.

This was a cracking script, which the cast squeezed every last ounce out of when it came to delivering the punch lines.  We started with a black and white film, directed and produced by Edward Frizzelle and Simon Jeffrey setting the scene from when and how Rapunzel had been kidnapped by Mother Gothel eighteen years earlier, with Ben Michaels and Izzy Melville as King and Queen Bouffant, Kara Jeffrey as Rapunzel and Chloe Carpenter as Mother Gothel. Good opener!

Eighteen years later Paige Canavan-Smith as Fairy Dandruff led the way with facial expressions that were fantastically comical with moves and ad-libs to match that just kept you smiling. Lynne Melville proved the perfect foil as the evil Mother Gothel not short of her own comedic moments and a powerful tool in the form of her voice. A superb singer. Izzey Waumsley pitched a rather rebellious Rapunzel giving her ‘mother’ a very hard time much to our amusement.  Zep Tocco was a splendid King Bouffant with some wonderful asides. James Struthers as Dame Fanny Follicle played the lively audience to the full, and needed to as some excellent adlibs actually came from the audience themselves. Clearly, he was born to play a dame! Her not too clever ‘son,’ Pascal was superbly played by Edward Frizzelle who was also our narrator for the evening.  And a special mention to Liza Blackman who played the handsome prince, Prince Ryder. She only took over the role four days before the show opened, but she had understudied the part and certainly thoroughly knew her lines. Brilliant job! And then we come to Gerald The Herald whose deadpan facial expressions were in a class of their own. Finally, a great chorus of both adult and junior members which gave us on this small stage a total cast of thirty-five. So, everybody who auditioned did manage a part? That’s community!

There were many comedic moments in this show, the scene where the instruction manuals on how to romance a woman and how to pitch your tent get mixed up and the use of the toybox in the rhyming couplets were standout hilarious moments. There were also some great poignant moments, which were welcome breaks just to draw breath,   particularly the lantern procession through the audience. Very well done indeed.

All in all this was simply a master class in how to put on a village hall venue pantomime, so well done indeed to Amber Richardson, her cast and crew for what was truly a superb evening’s entertainment.

And finally, thanks to the front of house crew who looked after us splendidly. The ice cream was particularly delicious.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.