The Stage

Dick Whittington and his Cat

Published Monday 9 January 2006 at 12:35 by Carole Baldock

Let’s face it, you rarely get a really bad panto, considering the huge task in appealing to all ages. Maybe because of the weird and wonderful mix of tradition and the subversive, and/or innovative?

Here, for example, we have Julia Camron with Master W in breeches, wording it most carefully, whilst sweetheart Alice (Susan Jinks) is feisty and fetching in black leather trousers. Plus Dawn Farrell as a really wicked Queen Rat, rousing the children to such a racket, some of the lines were lost. The Kitchen scene neatly combined flying custard pies and flailing swords as Sarah the Cook duels with Captain Silt.

Actors are said to dread animals and children - cats, rats and brats must be a nightmare but full marks to the young performers (Felicia Burns Academy) for the Aaah Factor, particularly in the tap dancing sequence, where Idle Jack (Ivan Wilkinson) shines as he makes the sparks fly. A reference to the 14th-century clarifies a couple of the Camelot backdrops, though costumes run the gamut from baseball caps to wimples. The combination of Pearly Queen and snowflake design and the range in the Grand Finale, are delightful.

Once again, the Dame deserves a chestful of medals, not least since Ian Moore also penned the script. Some broad, as in humour and a bosom which would be the envy of Barbie, he worked his cotton sockies off ensuring the audience had the time of their lives. A whole-hearted evening of good old-fashioned fun.