Sinbad the Sailor

The story of Sinbad is one of an ancient collection of tales known as The Arabian Nights. The collection was gathered together between the 800’s and the 1200’s. (Which, coincidentally, was about the same time as some of the jokes in STARS Pantomime!). The story of Sinbad was first seen as a pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London in 1814 and has been in the pantomime repertoire ever since.
Traditional pantomime should be full of over-the-top characters, plenty of opportunities for audience participation and a good storyline.  All these elements were nicely combined in this fun-filled production from STARS, which kept the audience well-entertained throughout the evening.  There were some great performances, too, amongst the cast, who were obviously enjoying themselves. 
Georgia Dennis, as Sinbad the Sailor, soon won over the hearts of the audience with her confident and solid performance. She was everything a Principal Boy should be – she not only looked spot-on but had an excellent singing voice. There was a wonderful on-stage chemistry between her and Princess Saffron, Eva DeLuca, who was a delightful Principal Girl.
Tom Clayton, as Ali Oop, had the audience with him from the off with his warm and likeable personality. He was the perfect foil to Chris Binns’s Dame, Oola Oop. Chris is one of the finest pantomime dames in the District – his sense of comedy and interaction with the audience is second to none.
Bernard Wilson as Vizier, was suitably menacing and was eliciting boos from the audience from his very first entrance. Joan Tattersall multi-tasked as the Sultana and Pearl showing her vocal and acting versatility. She was ably supported by Dave Harris, as the Sultan, and Andrew Charles, as Neptune.
Two young performers, Leo Mercer and Alex Frank, as the bumbling comedy duo Mufti and Shufti, have developed their comedy skills well over the last couple of years and turned in first class performances. Shannon Riley, as Rose, the handmaiden to the Princess, was another fine young actress with excellent stage-presence. In their supporting roles other members of STARBURST, Elijah Hubbard, as the Wizard, Malachy Graham, as Abdul, and Joe Hopkinson, as the Policeman & Mat, performed with confidence and showed great potential. Finally, I mustn’t forget Camilla the spitting camel, beautifully animated by Julie Birmingham and Andrew Charles.
The well designed scenery, props, makeup and superb costumes certainly added much to the overall visual effects achieved, together with good sound effects and lighting plot. So full credit for that to the Stage Manager, Janet Poveda, and her assistant, Rowena Clayton ;  Lighting, Peter Knowles ; Sound, Neil Bradford ; Wardrobe, Clare Burnside & Margaret Townsley ; Makeup, Judith Smith & Joan Waite ; Props, David & Joan Waite ; and last, but by no means least, the set team under the management of Mel Silver.

I have been coming to see STARS pantomimes for many years and I thought this was one of the best I’ve seen – all the essential elements of a great Pantomime came together to provide a thoroughly enjoyable evening’s entertainment, much appreciated by a supportive audience. So, many congratulations to the Directors, Chris Binns & Joan Tattersall

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