Rapunzel

Normanton Musical Theatre Society marked a very special milestone with their latest production, Rapunzel: A Tangled Pantomime, celebrating the society’s 100-year anniversary. Much like Rapunzel herself, the society has spent a century growing, evolving and strengthening, and this celebratory pantomime felt a fitting way to honour a legacy built on community, creativity and shared enjoyment of live theatre.

The story followed the familiar fairytale plot, enhanced with all the traditional pantomime ingredients audiences expect – audience participation, comedy characters, villainy and toe-tapping musical numbers – ensuring it appealed to all ages. At the heart of the production was Rapunzel, played by Juliet Pepper, who delivered a confident and engaging performance. Pepper demonstrated strong acting and assured vocals, leading the company impressively in the musical number Reach and showcasing her strength as a soloist with a heartfelt rendition of How Far I’ll Go.

Opposite her, Prince George was played by Rosalie Newton-VDB, who worked beautifully alongside Pepper. Their chemistry was evident, particularly during their duet I’m With You, which was delivered with warmth and sincerity. Adding a clever narrative device to the storytelling were three youth members in narrator-style roles as Fairy Well (Emily Gregory), Fairy Nuff (Kelsie Kenworthy) and Fairy Good (Ruby Gaynor). The trio displayed excellent rapport, delivering neat harmonies in the opening number Hair and bringing clarity and charm to the unfolding tale.

Comedy was provided in abundance by the traditional village idiot character Willy Widdle, played by Jessica Fahey. Fahey is clearly growing into the role, confidently encouraging audience participation while ensuring that nothing ever quite went to plan for her character – much to the audience’s delight. Alongside her was the Dame, appearing in the guise of Rapunzel’s childhood nanny, Nurse Hetty Hairspray, played by Tom Bucktrout. Bucktrout was confident and clearly relished the interaction with the audience, particularly with jokes aimed squarely at the adults. Together, Willy and Nurse Hetty formed an effective and entertaining partnership, delivering classic panto humour.

Every pantomime also needs its hapless henchmen and a formidable villain, and this production delivered both. Ball and Socket, played by Cerys Langley and Kaitlen Blacker, added plenty of humour as they repeatedly failed to convince Mother Gothel that they were capable of assisting with her evil plans. As Mother Gothel, Stephanie Bourke brought real dynamism to the stage, commanding attention whenever she appeared. Her rendition of When You’re Good to Mama was a standout moment, highlighting her versatility and vocal strength.

Smaller roles of The King and The Queen were ably played by Chris Oxley and Ros Moore, adding further support to the storytelling. The production was underpinned by a very enthusiastic ensemble, ranging in age from the youngest performers to more mature members of the cast. Their energy, commitment and sense of togetherness were evident throughout, reflecting the community spirit that has sustained the society for a century. Ensemble numbers were lively and well supported, adding colour, movement and atmosphere to the production.

The production team of directors Debbie Kenworthy and Louise Whitworth, musical directors Louise Whitworth and Elizabeth Whitworth, and choreographer Jessica Fahey staged a traditional pantomime that was well cast, featured good song choices and choreography tailored to showcase the strengths of the performers. While the script felt a little sparse in places and perhaps lacked some traditional pantomime elements, what the company achieved with the material demonstrated a society that continues to grow year on year, delivering enjoyable and heartfelt community theatre.

Overall, Rapunzel: A Tangled Pantomime proved to be a fitting celebration of Normanton Musical Theatre Society’s 100-year anniversary – a reminder of the enduring joy of pantomime and the strength of a society built on passion, participation and pride in performance. Congratulations to all involved.

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