The Prince and the Witch

The Prince and the Witch was written by Yvonne Hannant, who also played Sabrina, delighting the audience in her wonderful costume and soothsaying persona. The pantomime was co-directed by BeckyMonk and Steve Dunn, who again also had acting parts. They, along with other cast members, are part of an impressive list of backstage helpers. So this was truly a team effort, both on and off stage. It is always refreshing to see true community spirit, and this production certainly had plenty of it, from the castand crew as well as their audience who supported them throughout the performance.

The opening was suitably atmospheric, with stage mist and green lighting, which, together with the scenery, instantly transported the audience to a world of witches, heroes and villains. There was a slightly overlong delay before the action started, and this occured at various moments throughout the
performance. This could be put down to first night teething trouble, where perhaps one more rehearsal could have ironed out missed cues and lines, and tightened up the pace. The curtains also seemed to be causing difficulty, both in opening/closing and also in crew behind the middle curtain causing it to wave or bulge during the scenes that were happening in front of it. Despite these hiccups, the action was colourful, well lit, and varied. There were some modern twists in the traditional panto story, so that the outcome was familiar and yet not entirely predictable.

Lizzie McMillan and Tracey Murray as Bounce and Bump provided some welcome diversions, and both actors certainly enjoyed their roles. So did Will Murray as Lord Cringeworthy, who played the villain with great gusto and confidence. His ad-libbing and banter with the prompt, Andy McMillan, was initially very entertaining, although perhaps a little overused in the second act. The decision to have a visible prompt is an interesting one. It might have been for a possible lack of space backstage, or to have him there to help with the songs at the front. This did become a distraction, as his voice could be heard clearly during the songs, whereas the performers on stage were sometimes difficult to hear in the early chorus numbers. Perhaps putting him in costume and making him a “character” might have given him more legitimacy.

It was lovely to see the children taking part and being given little extra things to do on stage during so many of the scenes, such as polishing shoes, furniture etc. This was one of several details put in by the directors to give the performance that little something special. Hiding behind the picture frame and cut-out guards was another gem. One of the most charming pieces of direction was the little “dance” of the pantomime horse over the brooms, and the twisting and waggling of its rear end.

The first night tensions seemed to disappear for the two finale numbers, and the cast gave it the energy that was possibly lacking earlier on. The swirling lights added to the fun, and everybody - cast and audience - were enjoying themselves, especially one or two of the children in the cast, whose energy
was contagious, which was a delight to witness.

All in all it was a fun, community event, with great team work and a very warm welcome. Many thanks for inviting me.

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