Red Riding Hood

Panto season has begun (oh, yes it has!) and Fladbury Players got things off to a fairy tale-filled start, as Red Riding Hood featured not only the story of the eponymous heroine, but also those of the Three Little Pigs and Bo Peep! 

As the show began, we saw the nasty Baroness de Brexit (or should that be Brexee?), played by Susan Perry in a Cruella-de-Vil style wig, being dispatched by an officious Wizard (Angela Dakin) to secure the route for a new railway line – HS2½.  The only problem for these boo-able capitalists was that the route, passing through the amusingly named Fladbury-on-the-Fiddle, was blocked by the homes of the Three Little Pigs.  So off the Baroness went, to sort things out by hook or by crook.  She was accompanied by her lugubrious, virtually silent sidekick Dull, brilliantly played with a perma-glum face and thousand yard stare by Donna Davies. 

Arriving in Fladbury-on-the-Fiddle, we were met by WPC Tilly (Lisa Cole) who set herself up as the good fairy out to defeat the Baroness, and also gave us an introduction to the other inhabitants.  Firstly, of course, was our heroine Red, charmingly played by Freya Cole, and her dashing suitor Peter (Scarlett Wheeler). They made a fine couple, and shared a sweet duet together.  Also on the scene was Timmy (Jonathan Brotherton), who was besotted with Bo Peep, played in breathy, flirtatious style by Sue Poultney.  Poor Timmy was lost for words every time they met, with the audience being encouraged to shout ‘Come on, Timmy’, in encouragement!

Every panto needs a Dame, and Fladbury Players have a superb one in Rob Brown, resplendent as ever in an ever changing series of outfits and, as always, absolutely perfect in the role as Aunt Flo.  Quite often in pantos the Dame is in a fruitless chase for a partner, but in this case Flo actually had an admirer from the start, in the form of gardener Lionel Lupin (Keith Holman).  They enjoyed a funny first scene together as they sang about Lionel’s huge marrow (ooer!), a tune that was reprised later on so that we members of the audience could also get a chance to sing along, in true panto style!

Back to the story, as the Baroness attempted to evict the three little pigs.  On came the adorable Pinky (Lola Jackson/Lucy Poultney), Perky (Emilia Cox, Alice Eksteen) and the somewhat larger Porky (James Woodward, in a crowd-pleasing turn, always eating something and/or wiggling his tail!)  The Baroness’s plan involved turning an unsuspecting villager into the thing they most fear, and it was the unfortunate Lionel who downed some doctored punch at Red’s Birthday party (although we had to use our imaginations a bit, as there was no actual liquid in his glass!)  Lionel turned into a Wolf (Sam Godber) and was dispatched by the Baroness to get rid of those pesky pigs.  So we came to a re-enactment of the famous nursery rhyme, as the wolf huffed and puffed to blow away the houses of straw and twigs, in a very effective scene which saw the houses fly away and up to the ceiling. Congratulations to props man Keith Holman for a very good special effect, and for constructing the three pigs’ houses, including the one of bricks in which the pigs finally stayed safe. 

Her first plan having been thwarted, the Baroness turned to a diversionary route, which involved evicting Red’s Granny (Michelle Brotherton) from her house in the woods.  The reluctant Wolf was dispatched once again, menacing Red on her journey through the woods with an impressive rendition of ‘Blue Moon’ and a troupe of scary skeletons!  Luckily, Red quickly saw through the Wolf’s disguise and, helped by Peter and the rest of the gang, saw him off in a madcap chase through Granny’s house.

Meanwhile, Bo Peep had lost her sheep and needed the hope of tongue-tied Timmy, and the audience, to find them.  Happily reunited, she sung a very good serenade, which was accompanied by a charming ballet from the Florettes (Eva Wickens, Georgia Cox, April Edmunds and Jasmine Brotherton), who popped up on several occasions to provide some really nice dancing and singing.  Completing the cast were the chorus of Eileen Qubain, James Eksteen, Carly Jackson and Carly Wickens, who all added great colour to the scenes in the village and added their voices to the group songs. 

All that was left was for the Wolf to be turned back into Lionel, following a nice bit of worm-turning from Dull, and for the Baroness to be transformed in turn into a rat, which scuttled amusingly around the stage, to squeals from the cast members. 

This was a really enjoyable, traditional pantomime, capably directed by Rob Brown and featuring some good choreography from Freya Cole and Ness Haller – particularly in ‘Supercalifragilistic’, which featured some complicated movements, well executed by the cast.  It was no surprise to see the Village Hall full of people having a great time.  Fladbury Players have a great family feel to their pantos, not just onstage but in the audience too, as the numerous shout-outs attested!  Well done to one and all, and I’ll see you again soon (oh yes I will!)

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