Sinbad the Sailor

The story of Sinbad the Sailor lends itself well to pantomime, with the classic ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’, men playing women, women playing men, and improbable plots.  The script here was very well chosen, with good pace, plenty of jokes, clearly drawn characters and a wide range of songs to fit the story.  The set was very inventive and bright, well painted, especially the back cloths of ship and islands, and generally simple but most effective, with the changes efficient and well organised.. The use of the sail to signify the ship was brilliant. The pre-show announcements were very nicely done and caught the attention very well.  The opening was full of energy and positive vibes – with an atmosphere of light-hearted fun present from the start, shaped by the enthusiasm and verve of the piano playing - until Ayesha entered. The freeze worked very well here and increased the impression of evil that Ayesha portrayed so well.   Hence the action reflected the tone of the story from the start, with good changes in body language, facial expressions and energy levels.  There were all sorts of lovely additional touches to the script, too, such as the blow-up microphone and the mirror with no glass.  These were very nicely used to excellent effect. There were also some very good tableaux at the end of scenes which were well designed.

Costumes were bright and cheerful, with lovely outrageous wigs and dresses for the Dame and Calipha that suited their characters well. The lighting really made the most of both the set and the costumes with good cueing and excellent colours. The use of the UV light was different, and very effective, as was the disco lighting effect.  The sound was a mix of piano and natural voices which worked well with good singing, and good sound effects from the electronic keyboard.  The timings of the entries, accompaniment and sound effects were very good – probably because the musical director could see exactly what was happening onstage!  The choreography for the dance routines was good and well within the cast’s capabilities. I particularly liked the people dancing in their characters towards the end of the first Act.  The acting throughout the show was both intimate and dramatic.  The coherent action when the ship grounded was excellent, as was the Dame rocking the boat.   I just hope that you enjoyed playing as much as we enjoyed watching you!  

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