The Three Musketeers

On a freezing cold and foggy Sunday afternoon it was nice to sit in a lovely warm venue to be transported to Paris for Comberton Players’ latest pantomime The Three Musketeers written and directed by the talented Rachel Nielsen.  The script was a funny and clever take on the famous tale but, of course, this is panto so it wasn't true to Alexandre Dumas’ original story.  Taxes are high, people are miserable and the Musketeers are out of work. Cardinal Richelieu is plotting to oust the (rather silly) King with the help of Milady de Winter.  Enter the young, earnest, determined  D’Artagnan intent on joining the Musketeers and help them foil the Cardinal & Milady’s plot.

The well designed setting made the most of the space available and given there was no capacity for any moveable scenery, scenes flowed into each other smoothly with cast moving larger items and props on and off quickly and in the main unobtrusively.  Costumes, sound and lighting were all good.  MD Dan Blackburn and Choreographer Laurie-Lee McDowell made good use of the talent in the cast.  Solos, duets and ensemble singing were excellent and the choreography well executed. 

The fifteen young performers who were Sweeps, Guards, Jewellers and the Chorus performed with confidence and obvious ability. A special “well done” mention to Annie and Freya on the “Cups and Clapping” routine. This called for their complete concentration and they carried it out to perfection. 

A strong and talented cast of principals ensured the show had good pace, lots of energy and some great singing. In an exceptional performance Rufus J was super confident and energetic as D’Artagnan more than holding his own amongst the older experienced Principals, all the time very ably supported by his trusty steed Maple Stirrup beautifully played by Freya LN.  The Musketeers: Athos (Dan Edwards), Porthos (Elliott Noble) and Aramis Laurie-Lee McDowell were splendid as they went from being out of work to heroes in two and a half hours. Three first-rate performances.

 Of course we had to have baddies for them to overcome and these came in the guise of Graham Seed as Cardinal Richelieu and Beth Walthew as that bewitching beauty Milday de Winter. These two were helped — or rather hindered —  by the inept guards Roque and Fort played by Mole Piotrowicz and Steve Kennett. Loved the art gallery paintings of The Mona Lisa and The Scream. Very funny.  Excellent support came from Victoria Saul (Queen Anne) Bill Adams (King Louis), Yogendra Parmar (Constance), Glynis Ellis (Fleur) the young Eve E (Gem) and Rachel Nielsen doing a Hitchcock as Parisian.  The story was linked together well by Catherine Leroy as Eiffel (Paris Personified) who had eyes and ears everywhere, in fact she was rarely off stage. 

This was a great show, all the necessary elements for success were there, and Rachel Nielsen’s production of her own clever script did a good job in bringing them together. Congratulations to all involved and thank you for inviting me.

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