Dick Whittington

Published Monday 17 December 2007 at 12:50 by Mary Redman

Glowing red eyes in a sewer open this show - the Rat is back! Jason Thorpe’s techno Rat’s arrival is just what junior Harlow has tuned up their tonsils for.

Fear not - Helen Cartwright’s excellent pink, perfumed fairy is at hand. Angela Brand’s Cat is straight out of the West End musical and Kate Linden’s strong principal boy has a good singing voice.

Among the enjoyable things are designer Malvern Hostick’s pleasantly storybook Merrie England sets, plus Lorraine Cuthbert’s smart costumes. But because the setting is partly London, the show’s also the excuse for much stage Mockney.

Each year there’s a minute young boy with enormous stage personality and voice - William Edden (Calum Landau) as Barry the Crier.

Lee Ellaway’s Sarah is very blokey while Jack Brown as Idle Jack sounds like a refugee from Albert Square.

Comic routines are by over-worked Lee Pace, Dan James and Joanne Goddard’s outraged, Russell Brand-like Bish, stupid Bash and Harpo Marx-style Bosh.

Judicious directorial cutting for length would be welcome, while some song lyrics are indistinguishable.

With the bright-eyed chorus specially trained up by the Playhouse Theatre Company, even the smallest gives a top professional show performance.