Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates

It felt good to be back in the St. Ives Theatre again after very nearly a year since I saw Disenchanted last May.  The wait to see this show had started last year when it should have been performed over Christmas and had to be postponed, so now it was an Easter treat instead.    This was a relatively new script by the established pantomime script writer Alan Frayn offering a new take on the traditional Robinson Crusoe story.  By giving the show the initial and unusual setting of Brazil, and adding in pirates and cannibals he was able to provide opportunities for exotic costumes and plenty of swash and buckle to fulfil the requirements of an energetic and colourful panto, and Kidz R Us was abundantly equipped to pull every ounce of entertainment from it with their talented youngsters and committed support team.

Full use was made of the stage area with its upper level reached by central steps, and the two gantries dressed to represent Fairy Coral’s diaphanous realm and Davy Jones’s sinister domain.  The screens above and flanking the stage were able to accommodate all the necessary depictions to take us from downtown Rio via the docks, to a ship’s deck and onwards to the beaches, forests and glades of a tropical island.  So quick and efficient are they that we were able to enjoy the immersive sensations of rolling waves lapping golden sands and leaves moving in a gentle breeze, in the twinkling of an eye.  A ship’s wheel, large totem pole and cooking pot were simple and sturdily built additions on the higher stage to give a little more detail to scenes but the main area was kept pretty much free giving the cast a spacious area for the many lively company dance routines that peppered the performance; just a few wheel-on palm trees each side added character.

The extensive lighting rig was used generously with colours and movement, gobos and spots, and was operated skilfully to light every area efficiently.  The delicate tones of Coral’s home and the contrasting gloom of Davy Jones’s were atmospheric and effectively set these two unearthly kingdoms apart from the terrestrial events on the main stage.  Most impressive was the transition from ship to undersea as the vessel sank beneath the waves with sound effects supporting the lighting changes and effects to a full black out and remarkable UV scene.  This was successful by having completely masked operators, and being cleverly and knowingly choreographed so that no blacked out figure ever broke the outline of a colourful puppet (or accidentally displayed white socks!)

A large number of the cast were mic’d and so sound was good with levels comfortable for the ear and in balance with the recorded music.  There were many sound effects, which were perfectly timed with the dialogue, so clearly had been very carefully cued up to respond immediately at the slightest touch of a button.  The singing was animated with everyone on stage, no matter how young, knowing all the words and delivering them straight out front with an obvious enjoyment and enthusiasm that transmitted itself to the audience.  This zest for the medium tended to counterbalance my ofttimes criticism of not being able to hear the words clearly enough.  With the spectacle of colourful costumes and lively dance catching the eye more than the ear this is less worrying, but I did find that the dialogue was rushed in many cases and that was when it became difficult to catch everything that was said.  I appreciate that when you’re on a roll with the words you want to get through them, but they need to be delivered at a pace that allows the audience to absorb their importance, especially so when the line is a punchline to a joke.  It has to be mentioned that the harmony singing was admirable - not easy to hold your own line with someone singing something different beside you, so well done to Robinson and Juanita who, in their duet, were very exposed.

Do I need to say how spectacularly wonderful and magnificently breathtaking your array of costumes was?  Yes, of course, I do.  The knock-your-eyes-out impact of the colours truly represented the flamboyancy of Brazil at carnival time and the number of ensemble outfits was more than I could count!  …whole sets of samba dancers, sailors and pirates, grass-skirted hula-hula dancers and terrifying island cannibals - only you will know how many individual pieces had to be provided.  Coral was pretty in blue and I loved the detail in the fine velvet suit and top hat of Davy Jones, very different from an Old Man of the Seas seaweed-clad disarray.  Captain Seasalt was given a beautifully detailed frock coat and tricorn, while the three leading Pirates were more sombrely and appropriately attired in well-worn period naval gear.  Just how uncomfortable must it have been to wear that knee crutch all evening?  …but you made it look as if you had been wearing it for years.  Nutty Nick wore a traditional Comedy Lead outfit of primary coloured dungarees that supported the role perfectly and Hocus Pocus had comically scary witch doctor garments bedecked with bones and teeth.  It was somewhat surprising to see a cow trot across the stage never to appear or be mentioned again - but why wouldn’t you take one on board ship to provide fresh milk?  And a bright ‘feathered’ poncho and matching hood was enough to portray the brilliant plumage of a cheeky parrot.  Robinson looked particularly dashing in his fishnets and naval jacket with the fringed epaulettes.  Naturally Dame Margarita had a wide selection of outrageous outfits changing sometimes for no apparent reason except that this was another entrance!  Managing to keep her fantastic headwear balanced seemed to cause one or two problems, though.  It satisfied my vision of Dame that she was always in long sleeves and covered legs - except for the Wonder Woman interlude that was a delightful surprise moment.  I’m always amazed by how much effort goes into providing so many outfits that appear only briefly - and as if that wasn’t enough work for the wardrobe team, they also have to be on duty to help with the many quick changes so there are no delays.   Bravo!

Fans, wand, voodoo stick, maps, telescope, deck-swabbing brooms, a puppet dog and coconuts, UV creatures, vegetables (?) for the cooking pot, multi-coloured leis, - and I don’t know what else, all came and went, filling out the plot with detail and interest.  Handling props on stage is an acquired skill; making it look comfortable and natural takes practice and it’s worth remembering that if someone drops something in real life the natural thing to do is pick it up.  Ignoring a prop’s fall on stage draws attention to it and looks unnatural.  Much better to just bend down and pick it up, returning it if appropriate or removing it in an inconspicuous or theatrical manner.  This cast managed to look completely at home with all the props, which suggests they had been using them in rehearsal for some time.

Given the number of items of headwear required, from flowery fascinators, through hats, bandanas, and eye patches, to scarves and wigs, it was important that the underlying hair was tidy and provided secure fixing points.  We saw some beautifully tight french plaits in between the adornments.  There were opportunities for creative make up that were exploited to advantage - extravagant cheekbone and sunken eye shading and facial hair for the pirates, a dramatic scar for Cut Throat, alarming face paint on Hocus Pocus and Mumbo Jumbo, a rainbow on Poll’s face and over-the-top beauty for Margarita herself as befits a gorgeous Dame.  The natural, fresh-faced looks of Seasalt, Juanita and Robinson served to highlight the exaggerated appearance of those around and reinforced the idea that they had stepped into a world of some sort of fantastical adventure.

The choreography kept the full ensemble on stage for much of the production in a constantly changing series of spirited routines that used every inch of space.  The shapes and formations were moved into and out of with no bumping, each using his or her own space carefully.  Nimble footwork combined with hand and arm gestures and, although, or perhaps because, they weren’t particularly complex in construction, looked very slick in execution with unison and small group work providing variety and a kaleidoscope of pictures to maintain visual interest.  Congratulations to the entire ensemble for the dynamic way they delivered their song and dance routines with a passion and expertise that belies their tender years.  In particular, the spritely moves of Hocus Pocus as he rounded up and spirited away the castaways was a joy to watch so uninhibited were they.  The requisite swashbuckling fight scene was staged with movement, lighting and underscore for dramatic effect and was impressive in its vigour and tidy ending.

So much work goes into putting a panto on the stage - as much as, and sometimes maybe more than, a musical.  There are so many elements that have to be rigorously worked at for their successful delivery, e.g. the timing of entrances and exits, handling a joke in the most effective way, song, dance, and ‘song and dance’, costume changes, tricks and magic, representing an animal/bird, The Chase and slapstick or slosh scenes.   I did wonder whether this panto was written with a slosh scene for the Dame in the ship’s galley.  Did I hear the line, “Follow me to the galley”?, which might have led to another scene that possibly explained the cow but was omitted.  If so, that omission did nothing to diminish our pleasure in watching what was, nevertheless, a very full show bursting with entertainment value from start to finish.  Huge credit to the director and his team of creatives who quite clearly spent hours rehearsing/drilling all those magnificent company routines and the effort certainly paid off.  The characters with speaking parts never dropped a line and I am sure that the cast performing on the alternate nights was every bit as accomplished - that’s another point about your shows that few societies have to worry about.  These Kidz are learning two parts - and remembering which is which!  The high quality programme contains finely printed photographs so that we can accurately identify who we are watching and thoughtfully adds the ages to further astound us.  Its imaginative presentation as a ship’s log was amusing and I’d be surprised if there was anyone who didn’t look up his or her Pirate name on the Name Generator game!

Thank you for so generously hosting my visit yet again.  It is always the greatest pleasure to come to St. Ives to watch Kidz R Us in your productions.  I’m already looking forward to the next couple to be presented through the summer season.  See you all then.

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