| “My Favourite Night of the Year" |
Aberystwyth Pantomime |
| The Wardens- Cinderella , Aberystwyth Arts Centre , January 24, 2024 |
On 11th January, I took my annual seat in the Theatr Y Werin auditorium, laden with brightly coloured raffle tickets, my souvenir programme and a white chocolate Magnum. As always, I was bristling with excitement for what is, generally, my favourite night of the year and, judging by the cacophony of chatter in the room, I was in excellent company.Within seconds, the mood had irreversibly changed, as a booming voice swept through the rows of red velvet like a tsunami, with the words; “Due to illness, Ioan Guile will not be performing this evening.” There was a collective, audible gasp from the audience, and the bustling atmosphere instantly evaporated, such is the reputation and importance of the talented Mr Guile. Whilst referring to Ioan and his partner in crime, Richard Cheshire, in last year’s review, I wrote “All we can do is hope that they can continue for many years to come as, in all honesty, they ARE the Aberystwyth panto and, as far as I can tell, the contingency plan is gloriously non-existent.” Well, it turns out that the contingency plan is actually one of the other cast members reading their lines from a script! Cometh the hour, cometh Bob McIntyre who, in fairness, did an absolutely superb job in the circumstances, and was rightly credited with saving the day at the end of the show. However, such was the impact of Ioan’s absence, not just upon the volume and energy of the audience, but also to the flow, momentum and general funniness of the performance, I decided that it was only fair to go and watch the Wardens’ production of Cinderella for a second time – and I’m so glad that I did… So, one week later, I’m back in the same crimson seat (milk chocolate Magnum this time) as part of another excited and equally full house. With no bombshells being launched over the Tannoy, the Fairy Godmother (Donna Richards) introduces Cinderella (Becca Riches) and the opening number, “What a Picture!” begins. My attendance at this year’s Panto was obviously slightly cursed given that Cinderella’s microphone wasn’t working for her first two songs, but thanks to Elinor Powell’s all-star band and an energetic and well-rehearsed ensemble, we’re off to a fantastic start and you can already tell that the entire audience is totally invested in the unbridled joyfulness that is about to unfold. I should mention at this point that, during the first performance, Cinderella was played by Hannah Sefton, who (rumour has it) was a very late replacement as Cinders’ understudy and, given that she apparently only saw the script for the first time on Christmas Eve, did herself extremely proud. Anyway, back to the Town Square in Pantoland, where we meet Prince Charming (Alex Neil) and Dandini (Carl Ryan). Both actors have become synonymous with the Wardens panto over the past decade or so, and, once again, show their versatility by playing roles that are far less outlandish than some of their previous performances as baddies, genies, beasts and everything in between. Neil’s vocals throughout are on point, and he delivers his sizeable role with aplomb as always, albeit with fewer opportunities to dazzle than he’s become accustomed to over the years. Ryan, as ever, is the consummate professional, and takes “emptying the tank” and being “word perfect” to new levels. His contribution to the Sushi tongue twister gag, in particular, is totally faultless and generous, as it provides the platform for the Ugly Sisters to squeeze every last drop of laughter out of the scene. Speaking of the Ugly Sisters, before they enter the stage for the first time, there is a booming X-Factor style announcement, which states “And now, the ones you have all been waiting for…”, and although, in practice, this must be ever so slightly disheartening for the rest of the hard-working and talented cast it is, of course, totally correct. Ioan Guile and Richard Cheshire are Aberystwyth treasures, and the reception they receive is deafening. They are instantly hilarious and their annual ventures into the audience to locate their ‘victims’, is a huge highlight. In this particular performance, Everard from Ynys Las is the cannon fodder, and he is given the full treatment to the delight of the crowd, especially all of the men who can finally breathe and make eye contact with the Sisters once again! As I mentioned earlier, Bob McIntyre did a sterling job reading from a script, but the problem with a script is that it doesn’t allow for any improvisation or deviation from it by Cheshire – something that Guile positively feeds off, and I have no doubt that every scene they do is slightly different from night to night. Throughout their time on stage, there is practically constant laughter, and each one of their eight or nine costume changes is greeted with whoops, cheers and even a few wolf whistles – they both have fabulous pins to be fair. The dynamic duo really do elevate the panto to great heights, and whilst they are ably supported by the monumental scaffold that is everybody else involved, they live up to their top billing and hopefully, they’ll now both be wrapped in cotton wool for 12 months so that they can do it all again next year! Someone at the opposite end of their panto journey is Sion Wyn Hurford, who plays Buttons, and who adds a bit of Welsh wizardry to his performance by greeting us all with a huge “Shwmae Gang!” Whilst certainly not a stranger to the Arts Centre stage, I think this can be categorically referred to as his ‘breakthrough performance’, and his energy, humour, vulnerability, comic timing and belting vocals, are rewarded with one of the biggest cheers of the night at the curtain call. There is no real “Baddie” as such in the panto version of Cinderella given that, despite everything, you can’t really help but love the Ugly Sisters, but Theresa Jones as the Baroness at least provides us with a conduit for some vigorous booing! Jones, as ever, is flawless in her role, and her consistency and longevity across several decades (and counting), is nothing short of remarkable. Her foil in this production is Nick Allen, who plays the hapless Baron Hardup with a broad northern accent, and he is suitably wimpy in the face of the formidable Baroness, and his rather high maintenance step-daughters! It always seems strange to refer to the title character of any show as a member of the support cast, but that’s panto for you! However, Becca Riches as Cinderella makes a really solid debut in a Wardens lead role and she, along with the likes of Donna Richards as Fairy Godmother, the aforementioned Bob McIntyre as Terry Tipple, Owen Jac Roberts as DiddiDini and the ever-reliable (and saucy) Julie McNicholls Vale (Cherry), are the glue that holds the whole production together, ably supported by a large and talented chorus, and as good a kids chorus as I can remember – Mali, Maddie and Jenna in particular, were shining stars on this particular evening. Whilst other actors get a lot more of the lines, the glory and the laughs, this really epitomises what the Wardens are all about – an amazing team spirt, and a genuine reflection of the saying “there are no small parts, only small actors”. Behind the scenes, there are too many talented and hard-working people to mention, but the lighting, costumes, scenery and sound are all as good as you’ll see and hear in any professional pantomime, helped largely by the world class facilities at the Arts Centre, and the state of the art auditorium that is Theatr y Werin. We’re so lucky to have such a facility in Aberystwyth, and its renovation a few years ago is the lasting, but often unnoticed legacy of the building’s former technical director, the late Nick Bache. Speaking of things that are often unnoticed, were it not for Richard Cheshire reminding the audience that Elinor Powell and her band are beneath us, obscured from view in “the pit”, I’m sure many of us would not have remembered or even realised that they were there, let alone fully appreciated that they have just been the soundtrack to the preceding two hours of our lives. I say this, as always, as a huge compliment, such is the quality of the completely live accompaniment to the panto year on year. Whilst many professional pantos exclusively use backing tracks, every sound effect and song is arranged from scratch, and played live to a sublime standard. The Wardens should be congratulated on never, ever compromising on this important (but ultimately luxurious) accoutrement, but, in turn, they and their audiences are always splendidly rewarded by Elinor and her team of phenomenal musicians. Recalling the emotions I felt during that infamous announcement at the start of the first show (somewhere between mild disappointment and seething rage), it’s since become very clear to me that I, and the rest of the panto faithful have been well and truly spoilt over the years. With hindsight, it was still a jolly good evening and well worth the entry fee, but such is the general standard of the Wardens panto and the regard in which the main protagonists are held by the public, they have made a huge rod for their own backs by making certain individuals (literally) irreplaceable. Will this signify a shift in the force and the introduction of that contingency plan? I don’t know – but I, alongside literally thousands of others, will be back again next year to find out. Well done everyone as always – you are my heroes. |
Reviewed by: Alan Rock |
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