One
from the Heart at the Civic Theatre Chelmsford
06.12.2012
A
pantomime
is
nothing
without
music.
But
where
to
turn
for
the
numbers
between
the
slapstick
and
the
magic
?
So
far
this
season,
it's
been
rock'n'roll
classics,
an
original
score,
and
now
here
in
Chelmsford
a
raid
on
the
more
upbeat
offerings
from
the
charts.
Which
works
very
well,
with
lively
songs
appropriately
arranged
for
this
young
panto
company,
from
the
Pet
Shop
Boys'
"Go
West"
[with
semaphore
flags]
to
One
Direction's
"What
Makes
You
Beautiful".
Especially
impressive
vocally
is
the
all-important
cat
– Tommy
Jones
[cue
"It's
Not
Unusual"]
– played
by
Waylon
Jacobs.
There's
a
nonsense
song
too
– vintage
Gang
Show
– involving
the
inevitable
custard
pies,
a
number
from
Children
of
Eden
["Good
to
See
the
Sun
Again"],
a
sing-off
for
the
audience,
and
a
noisy
megamix
encore
finale.
Amongst
the
many
energetic
routines,
most
original
was
the
three-way
wooing
["Love
is
All
Around"]
atop
the
counter
in
Fitzwarren's
shop.
[Fitzwarren
himself
a
victim
of
austerity
cuts,
I
imagine.]
The
stunningly
glamorous
opening
sequence
["In
Living
Color"]
– a
flying
moon
bearing
the
Good
Fairy
against
a
star
cloth
– features
four
talented
chorus
boys,
from
the
Laine
School,
who
provide
excellent
back-up
throughout,
in
a
parade
of
ever-so-slightly
camp
costumes.
The
show
is
beautifully
designed,
picture-book
settings,
a
Shakespearean
storm,
an
old-fashioned
tableau
for
the
prediction
that
ends
Act
One,
and
a
walk-down
against
a
heraldic
staircase
with
everyone
resplendent
in
gold
frocks.
A
strong
cast,
too,
with
Richard
Earl
back
in
Chelmsford
as
Sarah
the
Cook
and
Lewis
Barnshaw
working
the
audience
as
Simple
Simon
her
son.
The
supernaturals
are
in
the
safe
hands
of
Jenny-Ann
Topham
as
the
Good
Fairy
Bowbells
[get
it
?],
and
Kivan
Dene
relishing
his
role
as
King
Rat,
accompanied
by
his
furry
minions,
variously
remote-controlled,
or
glove
puppets,
or
danced
by
the
children's
chorus.
No
principal
boy
here,
but
the
"perfectly
proportioned
features"
of
Craig
Rhys
Barlow,
the
boy-band
handsome
Whittington,
who
eventually
wins
the
hand
of
Abigail
Rosser's
Alice.
Simon
Aylin's
very
enjoyable
version
of
Dick
Whittington
[the
City
of
Chelmsford
the
starting
point
for
his
journey
to
Old
London
Town]
is
stuffed
with
quick-fire
gags,
including
some
very
old
favourites
and
a
confectionery
sketch
that
is
delightfully
delivered.
And
the
ghost
routine
– "Wimoweh",
no
less
– involves
a
kick-line
of
four
gorillas
and
a
chase
through
the
stalls.
Like
the
Crazy
for
You
opening,
you
don't
see
that
every
day
…
this piece first appeared on The Public Reviews
and for the Chelmsford Weekly News ...
You'll
not see a more stylish opening than this in panto: forget dancing on
the village green, here we have our Good Fairy flying in on a moon,
with four young men in evening dress waiting below.
This
is Bowbells, a very forceful East End fairy in Jenny-Ann Topham's
performance, who'll tell Dick to turn again and become Lord Mayor.
One
from the Heart have come up with another custom-built panto for the
Civic, with bandbox-bright sets and a succession of jokes, routines,
and numbers from the charts, all delivered with fizzing energy and
slick style.
Pleased
to see Richard Earl back again as Dame, Sarah the Cook this year, who
models herself at least in part on Fanny Cradock, gets to wear some
glorious creations and ends up hitched to Kivan Dene's gleefully
spiteful King Rat. The other wedding, superbly set against a heraldic
backdrop and costumed in gold, sees Craig Rhys Barlow's Dick tie the
knot with the glamorous Alice [Abigail Rosser].
Preening
and posturing, Waylon Jacobs makes a very watchable Tommy, and Lewis
Barnshaw, as Simple Simon, achieves an instant rapport with the kids
in the audience.
Custard
pies, dancing gorillas, water pistols, pyrotechnics and a One
Direction moment. And all done with professionalism, polish and
pizazz. Dick Whittington finally hangs up his spotted hankie on
January 6 – catch him if you can.
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