| "Like a Massive Cwtch’ |
Aberystwyth Pantomime |
| The Wardens Company- Dick Whittington and the Pi-rats of the Caribbean , Aberystwyth Arts Centre , January 23, 2025 |
It’s January, Aberystwyth Arts Centre’s Theatr y Werin is packed to the rafters and Elinor Powell’s band are playing a feelgood medley. This can only mean one thing – it’s time for the Wardens’ famous and award-winning Pantomime! The ‘panto faithful’ are clapping and singing before a soul has set foot on stage, such is the reputation of the Wardens and its cast and crew. By the time I take my seat on a blustery Sunday afternoon, social media has been awash with posts boldly suggesting that this may well be the best pantomime Aberystwyth has ever seen. Obviously, such profound claims are entirely subjective, but, given that we’re advised in the programme that Wardens legend Carl Ryan has had to drop out of the show, coupled with the fact that the cast list is also missing crowd favourites such as Theresa Jones and Sion Wyn Hurford and rumour has it that the company has been plagued by bouts of illness, one thing is for sure – if this is the best panto ever, the Wardens have achieved that accolade against all odds! The opening prologue gives us an early taste of Ryan’s replacement in the role of King Rat, in the form of Nathan Guy. These are gargantuan shoes to fill, but Guy immediately justifies his appointment by demonstrating his gravitas, stagecraft and professionalism, albeit wearing significantly less glitter and spandex than might have been adorned by his much loved predecessor. Booing is, of course, standard panto fare, but such vitriol from the rows of red velvet seats has to be earned – and Guy has us in the palm of his hands from the off. King Rat is joined on stage by Fairy Clean Up, played by Donna Richards, one of several to have apparently succumbed to the dreaded lurgy during the embryonic stages of the run. Fortunately for me and my future shipmates, Richards is on sparkling form and provides the perfect antidote to King Rat’s glorious gruesomeness. The first group number, Michael Bublé’s “It’s a Beautiful Day” is an absolute triumph, as are subsequent renditions of “Consider Yourself”, “Mr Blue Sky” and my personal favourite, a very clever mash-up of Take That songs. The first thing that strikes me is the age of the ensemble, as Paul Hicks and Gerwyn Hughes aside (no offence fellas!), this must surely be the youngest chorus line in Wardens history. The question is, given their tender years, can they deliver? You bet your paved with gold streets they can, and it’s abundantly clear that the choreographers (Carl Ryan and Lorna Lowe) and the musical director (Elinor Powell) have been blessed with a sufficiently talented and malleable enough cast, to take certain aspects of the show to new heights. The harmonies are complex but watertight, and the choreography is demanding and refreshing. During the same scene, we meet the eponymous Dick Whittington, played by Alex Neil. Recently promoted to the Wardens board of directors, Neil has been a mainstay of Aber’s panto for well over a decade and this year, he greets us with a big “Shwmae gang!” and gets a raucous “Da iawn Dicky!” in return. Neil has played a multitude of roles during his time with the Wardens, but I doubt he’s ever shouldered quite as much responsibility as this year – especially in terms of taking the lead on the vocal side of things. His singing voice is irrefutably the strongest in the company, and it would appear that, at some point during the rehearsal process, there was a (totally understandable) decision to make the most of it, rather than share the load more equally amongst the cast. There are certainly no complaints from the audience, although the show arguably misses having at least one massive female ballad at some point. Dick is accompanied on his journey by Miriam Llwyd as Tommy the Cat, and, whereas in many pantomimes the animal characters are non-speaking parts, our furry friend is very much a principal role on this occasion. Rising star Llwyd delivers both an accomplished acting performance, as well doing her fair share of singing and delivering a flurry of feline puns with aplomb. The ever-reliable Hannah Sefton plays Dick’s love interest Alice Fitzwarren and, having stepped in at the eleventh hour last year to share Cinderella duties with Rebecca Riches, this time round she has deservedly been given a lead role in her own right, and does not let anyone down. In keeping with even the highest budget professional pantos these days, the script departs massively from the traditional Dick Whittington plot, not least by virtue of the fact that the general storyline is that the townsfolk of London are, for the entire first half of the show, planning their escape by boat from the City’s unbearable rat problem (and this is even before we get to the Caribbean port of Borthbados where, amongst other things, we are joined by pirates, a gorilla, the Flintstones, a triceratops and the entire Baby Shark family!) One of the other tweaks to convention is the inclusion of two comedy duos – Stinky & Pooey and Sammy Seaweed & Mickey Muscle. The former couplet is played by seasoned pros Julie McNicholls-Vale and Bob McIntyre, who expertly maintain a baddie (albeit humorous) presence throughout our journey, even when King-Rat is off stage. In the absence of the aforementioned absentees, director Cheshire has had to put his faith in the youth of today in several departments, and the performances of Owen Jac Roberts and Osian Jewell in the latter roles fully justify this decision. Comic timing and delivery of corny jokes are things that can take years to develop, but, as a debut double act, the decision to back exuberance and enthusiasm over experience is a resounding success. Paul Hicks and Grant Thomas play Blackpatch and Scurvy Jim respectively, as leaders of the bawdy band of pirates that we meet at the start of the second half. However, it is actually chorus member Alaw Medi Beechy that provides the required swashbuckling energy and menace that elevates this particular scene to a really high level. Such is her commitment to the cause throughout the show, I would be amazed if she wasn’t rewarded with a principal role within the next panto or two. Before I move on to two of the more senior members of the cast, I must make special mention of the children’s chorus. With reference to what I said at the start of this review, I’m not convinced that this is the best panto the Wardens have ever done, but I will definitely put it out there and say that this is the best ever children’s chorus. This isn’t just down to the ability of the kids, it’s also down to the trust shown in them by the Wardens’ creative team, the time they’ve clearly been prepared to invest in them and, at the risk of repeating an important adjective, it was so refreshing to see them have a chance to shine, especially given there have definitely been years when I’ve heard parents moaning that their kids weren’t in it much. You have to be careful what you wish for in this world… Richard Cheshire’s involvement in the Panto reminds me of that Denis Waterman sketch in Little Britain, given that, whilst he doesn’t actually write and sing the theme tune, he does write the script, direct the panto as well as act and sing in it! His impact and influence upon the art of pantomime across the UK is immeasurable, but his contribution to the Wardens and to the post-Christmas morale of Ceredigion’s residents is utterly priceless. As Sarah the Cook, he is not only in his element, but he also has the audience hanging upon his every word. Every cracker joke, every ‘permanent improvisation’ and every double-entendre (there are Dick jokes galore as you can imagine!) is delivered with perfection and, although there is no doubt that he reserves many of the best punchlines for himself, he’s earned the right to do so across many, many decades. His partner in crime is, as always, the irrepressible, effervescent and ageless Ioan Guile. There is a loud cheer as soon as he makes his first grand entrance, such is the adoration, respect and clamour for him in this part of the world. Having said that, the panto faithful are a knowledgeable, discerning and expectant bunch and if there was any hint of a dip in his performance levels, having maintained such an exceptionally high standard for so many years, there would be limited sympathy. But that’s all irrelevant – as he’s inevitably as beyond brilliant as ever, and his energy levels put people half of his age to shame. The on-stage chemistry between Guile and Cheshire remains on point, effortlessly natural and totally organic (you really can’t manufacture this sort of thing), and there’s a lovely moment during a tongue twister scene, where it’s just the two of them on stage doing what they do best. They are Wardens panto royalty - and long may they reign. At the end of the show, Cheshire always makes a point of thanking musical director Elinor Powell and her amazing band, and the plaudits are, once again, fully justified. As ever, the biggest compliment anyone can pay them is that you almost forget they are there, such is the level of musicianship and how in tune (both literally and metaphorically) they are with what is happening on the stage. We are very lucky to consistently have completely live accompaniment to our pantos here in Aber, and it will be a total travesty (and the beginning of the end) if that ever changes. This is a really good panto, helped massively by the state-of-the-art facilities at Theatr y Werin, the Wardens’ spiritual home and the lasting legacy of its late technical director Nick Bache. The show also more than fulfils the Wardens’ main objective which is to create a community panto to professional levels, and it contains a clever blend of traditional and modern references – The Traitors and Gladiators to name but a couple. The lighting, staging, set, sound, costumes (especially Sarah the Cook’s!) are all of an exceptionally high standard and the only real difference between the Wardens panto and one that you’d watch in a big city, is the lack of Z-List celebrities. However, for me, that is a massive plus for us here in Aberystwyth. With the exception of Nathan Guy for obvious reasons, we are watching local people give up their time free of charge, to allow the rest of us a couple of hours of escapism. Whatever else we have going on in our lives, at this time every year, we each get the chance to completely immerse ourselves in something that is quite unique, utterly bonkers and, most importantly, that we all genuinely feel that we are a part of, especially when the cast surrounds us in the aisles like a massive ‘cwtch’. It’s a clever move from Cheshire – you really do feel like you’re included in the show, that you belong to it as much as it belongs to you and, to coin a song used in previous pantos, that we’re all in this together. That feeling is heightened even more this year, by some fairly hefty audience interaction. Not only is there a raffle and a song sheet which incorporates a ‘dance off’ in the auditorium, but there is also the opportunity for us to throw sponges at King Rat, get drenched by some high powered super soaker water pistols, and some of the younger audience members are even invited up on stage to assist with a treasure map and the aforementioned dance moves….and as if all that wasn’t inclusive enough, we even have the brilliant Tony Evans providing a live sign language interpretation of the show throughout – he even ended up as Sarah the Cook’s (slightly reluctant) boyfriend for the afternoon! During the finale and subsequent curtain call, there is literal whooping. Aberystwyth audiences know what they like, and this show definitely gets the thumbs up, as evidenced by the hugely appreciative crowd, the standing ovation and the countless mini-reviews on Facebook which, let’s be honest, are the only ones that count. The Wardens have had to overcome several obstacles this year, and they have done so hugely impressively. Is it the best panto ever? Probably not. Does that matter? Definitely not. The Wardens are an institution, and the people involved are the local equivalents of National Treasures. One of the last songs in the show is “I’m still standing” and do you know what? So are the Wardens. |
Reviewed by: Alan Rock |
This review has been read 955 times There are 25 other reviews of productions with this title in our database:
|
