Treasure Island

This production, written by Tom Pieman, had sold very well, so much so that I thought I'd be turning round and going home once I realised there wasn't a reserved ticket for me meaning that I may have to stand for the show.  Thankfully, I was found a seat on the back row and the lights dropped ready for the performance.

This group clearly has a lot of support in the community, which is great to see.  The audience was a real mix of ages and they were vocal throughout.  As is usual with grass roots theatre, the technical aspect to the show was simple, but the lighting and overall sound was good.  There were no mics used for any of the cast which at times made the hearing of some of the lines at the back of the hall a little difficult.  Generally the cast projected their lines well, but more work was needed with the chorus and some of the supporting roles to help with projection of their lines.  The cast ranged in age with the youngest being 4 years old - all the way up to some more seasoned performers.

There were some good performances from the named character parts, namely: Katie Wilkinson as Jim Hawkins - a good delivery of lines and strong character held throughout.  Ken Seed as Squire Adams delivered very well, good comic timing and strong projection married with a big character.  Kianna White and Nicola Hindley playing Frances Adams and Calypso respectively performed well and all their lines were clear.  Hats off to Dan Haresnape playing Long John Silver for hopping throughout the second act, it must have been difficult to have his leg tied up but you coped really well with it - well done.  A short role for previous NODA nominee Ben Percival who seemed to channel his inner Captain Jack Sparrow - great character though a few of his lines were a little quiet at times - I actually didn't mind it as it fit so well with the mystery of his character.  There was some good comedy relief by Joan Miller & Liz Hobin (show directors) with their roles as Swash & Buckle, clearly a crowd favourite.  I have to say the performer that stole the show for me was Donna Keller as dual cast Blind Pew and Isaac Howard.  Donna's character acting had the whole hall laughing out loud at various times through the evening.  Her comic timing was first class and her facial acting was just right.  Good job Donna - Well Done!

Direction was clear and there were some good ideas for the comedy.  Costumes were colourful and fitting for the script.  The choreography was simple but effective for the younger performers.  The younger groups of performers performed well with big smiles and lots of energy (and waving!) 

On the whole the pantomime was well received by the audience and the cast did a great job.  Just a bit of work with the cast on 4th wall and staying in character as well as projection for the younger performers and ensuring that faces are "switched on" at all times.  Smiles for the chorus performers and dancers would really help too, but, all in all, a successful show - well done.

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