Jokes and innuendos hit at every level
And before we know it Christmas has come round again but rather than worry about any shopping that needs to be done we can rejoice in the knowledge that the legendary Greenwich Theatre Panto is once more upon us, writes Michael Holland.
A quick glance through the programme tells us that most of the regular team are back for this year’s offering – Dick Whittington and His Cat: Louise Cielecki is playing Muffy the mouse masquerading as a rat; Inés Ruiz will be Tommie the Cat, and once again Trinity Laban are providing the young ensemble with their students getting a chance in a professional production.
And where would Greenwich Panto be without Steve Marwick directing the music and making up the trio of extremely good musicians(Chris Wyles – Drums and Gordon Parrish – Guitar). And because the panto is set in the 1960s they have every opportunity to show off their Beatles and Kinks expertise, as well as a little Led Zeppelin dropped in for good measure.
James Haddrell directs and Anthony Spargo – The Best Baddie in Town – shows that he can write Panto as well as get a crowd to boo him.
King Rat (Spargo)is not happy when he hears that a Cat is in town so he sets about framing its owner, Dick Whittington (Samuel Bailey), for theft and chased out of town, leaving him and his ilk unbothered by this feline foe.
Dick, though, has fallen in love with Alice(Jasmine Jules Andrews), daughter of Meggs the Baker(Phil Yarrow) so needs to find out who set him up. Conveniently, there is a time machine that can take him back to just before the dastardly deed was done so he can change the future.
What can go wrong? Well, just about everything, actually. Especially as King Rat wants to return to 1666 and change the course of rat history!
With a Mr Watt and a Mrs Hoo involved along the line a whole skit was played out on who was what and what was who? And much fun was to be had with Dick, of course, but Pantos are for the whole family so jokes and innuendos hit at every level.
Spargo is generous in his writing inasmuch as everyone gets good lines and it is not all about him. In fact, with a good proportion of the audience there specifically for his Baddie performance, I’m sure they would have liked a lot more of him. Instead we see a team effort where everyone from the musicians to the chorus line to the whole auditorium get in on the act.
And why not? It’s Christmas and everyone wants to have a good time.
I doff my party hat to the multi-talented Inés Ruiz for giving us just about everything she has while leaving us wanting more.
Myself and Team Pinnock are already looking forward to next year’s Peter Pan.
Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill. SE10 until January 5th 2025. Times vary. Admission: £15.50 – £34.
Booking: www,greenwichtheatre.org.uk
