The Corn Exchange was bedecked with festive decorations and beautiful real tree in the foyer and festoons of lights in the auditorium for this year’s Christmas Panto Dick Whittington, and it’s an absolute winner.
Once again, the award-winning creative team of Plested, Brown and Wilsher return for their sixth year at the helm with Adam Brown inventively directing what is a refreshing, new interpretation of the traditional story that fizzes with energy and pace. The capacity enthusiastic audience were out for a fun evening, and they were certainly not disappointed, it was an absolute joy.
Grace Kelly Miller is our Detective Fairy Bowbells determined to keep law and order in Newburyshire and adds a bit of magic to help her. Our hero Dick, impressively played by the charismatic Kai Harris, dressed in his scout uniform with numerous badges on his sleeve, quickly wins over the audience and, together with his cat Cosmo (Jade Johnson), sets off to seek his fortune in old London.
They meet Alderman Fitzwarren (Chris Rankin) and his daughter Alice (Shannon Bourne), who are down on their luck as their emporium is losing money as the city is over run by rats. Alex Crandon is a true villain as the evil Percy Rat and relishes the audience’s loud boos.
Every panto needs a dame, and Scott Riney, making his panto debut, fills the role in abundance, wearing the most outlandish costumes. Look out for Captain Bird’s Eye fish fingers sequence. A hilarious take on the traditional ghost scene.
The hardworking ensemble, Adam Craig, Finna Hardy and Jake Poolman, are superb, adding so much to this sparkling production.
Miranda Wilford’s imaginative choreography is breathtakingly dynamic, and the cast energetically perform with both flair and brio with everything from tap to break dancing, which was exhausting to watch.
Musical director Ben Barrow assisted by Luke Hinchliffe provide a clever compilation of song selections that are spot on.
With lots of puns and local refrences and oodles of audience participation, including everyone joining in the “Time Warp”, this vibrant production is the “purrfect’ entertainment for all the family. Not to be missed.
Reviewer: Robin Strapp