Treasure Island

Treasure Island is a classic adventure story packed with swashbuckling pirates, hidden treasure, and larger-than-life characters, making it a perfect choice for pantomime. The Enfield Players embraced all the fun and excitement of this well-loved tale, delivering a colourful and entertaining production that clearly delighted its audience. From the opening moments, the production had warmth and strong visual appeal. It was especially lovely to see the Junior Chorus so confidently involved; they performed with great enthusiasm.

Musically, the pantomime was in very safe hands with Musical Director Jack Herbert. The band of Jack, George and John ‘Ringo’ kept the show flowing smoothly throughout, what a talented family!

One of the most memorable features of the production was undoubtedly the Parrot. The younger members of the audience were completely captivated. The design, construction, and operation by Martin Smith were exceptional, giving the parrot real personality and comic timing. The voice work by Jude Shelton added greatly to its humour. Martin Smith also co-wrote and co-directed the pantomime with Fraser Morton, and their combined vision resulted in a well-structured, imaginative, and audience-friendly production.

The cast delivered many strong individual performances. Fraser Morton made an effective Captain Flint, creating a villain who was suitably threatening yet still pantomime-fun. His stage presence and clarity of character helped anchor the story. Calypso, Sophie Pass was graceful and appealing with beautiful make-up, an eye-catching costume, and a calm, confident performance that brought a sense of magic whenever she appeared on stage.

Dave Clifton gave a great performance as Squire Trelawney, bringing warmth to the role, while Sally Harton was a charming Caroline Trelawney, and her lovely singing voice was a particular highlight. Alice Hornsby gave a confident and likeable performance as Jim Hawkins with clear storytelling and good vocal work. Her pairing with Sally Harton’s Caroline was effective and they worked well together in both dialogue and musical numbers.

John Wynne was an engaging Dame as Jim’s mother Mrs Hawkins, with strong audience rapport, confident delivery, and plenty of energy. As well as some wonderful costumes and wigs.

Amy Meakin as Long John Silver, created a bold, assured character and she led her pirate crew with confidence. Her duet with Sally “Changed for Good” was beautiful.  Jacquie Saunders (Black Dog), Gemma McGarrigle (One-Eyed Jack), and Nicola Dale (Isabel Hands) were a lively and well-matched trio, each clearly characterised and committed, contributing strongly to the comedic timing of the pirate scenes.

Chris Wood gave an entertaining performance as Captain Cliché, and his crew added to the fun and energy of the production. Charlotte Adul (Charts), Lucy Wood (Sails), and Hollie Pass (Togs).

Joe White played Ben Gunn who had been stranded on the island guarding the treasure and his obsession with cheese was played to great effect, earning well-deserved laughs. Building great rapport with John White as Billy Bones who had been trusted to look after the map and find where X marked the spot. Their jokes whilst a little cheesy were a great crowd pleaser. Anne-Louise Bailey was a reliable and well-judged Dr Livesey and Sarah Shaw played Redruth well.

The ensemble as a whole performed with great enthusiasm and unity. Choreography by the team of Leah Wilk-Byrne, Rio Cindy, Alice Hornsby and Amy Meakin offered routines that were both accessible and visually effective.

The pantomime opened with the Veteran Pirates, a lovely touch that immediately set the scene and also celebrated the strong sense of community within The Enfield Players.

Costumes by Barbara Smith were vibrant, varied, and beautifully made, contributing enormously to the visual impact of the show. Calypso’s costume in particular stood out as magical, but every group – pirates, ensemble, and principals – were clearly well thought out and carefully coordinated. The attention to detail in the accessories further enhanced each character and added an extra layer of quality to the overall presentation.

The scenery was stunning, with clever and imaginative use of the sides of the stage to represent both the inn and the ship, keeping the action flowing. The production ran smoothly under the efficient stage management of Helen Morton and the lighting and sound supported the mood.

Front of House offered a warm welcome, and the colourful programme was a delight, especially the interactive pirate-name activity which we loved having a go at!

Despite snowy conditions, the dedication of the company was evident even before the curtain rose, with members working together to clear paths and ensure audiences could attend safely. This act of teamwork perfectly reflected the strong sense of community within the group and carried through into a production that was clearly built on cooperation, commitment, and shared pride. Huge congratulations to The Enfield Players, we very much look forward to your concert in June celebrating 70 wonderful years of The Enfield Players.

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