Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates

Panto at Plumpton is always a special event every year: with the energy, warmth and joy that every person pours into it. It feels as if everyone in the entire village comes together to help and support in large or small ways, and the inclusion that the group shows every year by including and involving every ability is so heartening: it’s joyous. This year we see an unusual panto in Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates, but one that the group produces with their inimitable and enviable style and flair. 

This year Duncan Taylor-Jones swapped his Dame costume for Nutty Nick, the silly character who interacts with the audience the most, and he excelled at it. With wonderful stage presence and confidence the audience got swept along and he reminded us at various times throughout to keep up the audience responses, and told us off when we weren’t loud enough, to great hilarity. He played silly very well. Matching him was the fabulous Dame, Margarita Juicilita played by Bill Kirwan who looked like he’d played a Panto Dame professionally for years: his confidence, charm, silliness and naughtiness oozed in all the right places, and a wonderful singing voice too. They made a great team.  

There are so many people on the stage it would be impossible to mention them all, but the children deserve special mention as holding their own singing “Octopus’s Garden” without any adults, with choreography and energy as well as lovely voices. Every time they were on stage, in all the various lovely costumes, they were always focused and knew exactly what they were meant to be doing and where they were going, with lovely singing and dancing. There was also wonderful dancing and singing from the adults, and the “Clubbers”, with lovely choreography, interesting pictures and shapes and everyone in time, some making sure that everyone of every ability was included. Such a joy to see. 

Lily Halward’s singing voice was a joy to listen to as Robinson Crusoe and she led the whole hero journey so very well. The duet with Jess Morley as Juanita was gorgeous, such beautiful harmonies. The songs throughout were super and some modern and some classic panto, with lovely detail treatment added, such as “We will cook you” when they met the Cannibals on the Island, instead of “We Will Rock You”: such good fun. 

It’s an oddly written panto in some ways as it has more than one traditional baddie: Davy Jones played with delightfully evil gruffness by Paul Kluge; and the Pirate Captain Cut Throat played with relish by Stuart Wallis: both were terrific, and it’s a shame we didn’t see more of Davy Jones in the script. These are also two great examples of the wonderful costumes on show – Davy Jones particularly, dripping in ethereal seaweed, both mirroring and contrasting aspects of the Spirit of the Seas colourful glittery costume with scalloped shell skirt, played by Charlotte Feldwicke. All of the costumes on show were wonderful, including all the various outfits worn by the Dame, who at the beginning was almost a walking fruit bowl: brilliant. Makeup goes hand in hand with the costumes and was super for everyone: the Dame and Davy Jones particularly. 

The set changes, were done incredibly well, navigating the number of people on the stage and the amount of space: there wasn’t a lull or a clunky transition. Under the sea with Davy Jones’ locker looked completely different to everything else, and there were a lot of different backgrounds and set pieces on and off again. It added to the story telling beautifully. The talking stone statue with the glowing red eyes was amazing. The lights and sound worked really well, and so interesting to have a follow spot as well at certain points and they did really well to keep up with the people moving quickly on the stage. 

It’s always good to have a live band and hearing Musical Director James Honess and the band produce such quality is always a joy. It’s also lovely to see them getting involved in the action on stage as well, as they came back at the interval wearing the same head-dresses as the people on the stage: a lovely touch. Congratulations to Director Derrick Taylor, also Captain Sea Salt, and everyone involved in this super show, it’s so clear to everyone in the audience how much everyone on stage loves it, that it’s a total team effort: and that joy and energy makes all the difference to putting smiles on the faces of everyone leaving. Super well done! 

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