The Pied Piper

How refreshing it is to be seeing a brand-new Pantomime title based on a traditional well-known story and Alan Frayn’s script of the Pied Piper fully tells the German folk tale of the community of Hamlyn overrun by rats. It is packed with more gags, puns, and pantomime business than most other Pantomimes I have seen this year, Professional and Amateur, so you can’t fail to enjoy the show and leave with a smile on your face.

t is also great when you see a society that know their limitations and play to their strengths with its focus on having fun, integrating the juvenile dancers  and generally avoiding too many musical numbers. Indeed, the few songs they did sing would have benefited from amplification that budget limitations prohibited. However, there are plenty of comic characters giving everybody, even those not usually on stage but behind the scenes, a few gags to create the strong ensemble feel that community societies like this one should strive for.

The scenes were prettily set with some colourful and attractive well painted back cloths which when swept aside by the stagehand facilitated quick scene changes. Though this show would have benefited from being twenty minutes shorter and having amplified voices for singers and young performers, it delivered what is needed at this time, a very funny entertaining Pantomime where cast and audience enjoyed the shared experience of live theatre and there was a real appreciation of the efforts of all involved at the end.

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