DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. To 20th Jan
London
DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT
by Mark Ravenhill
Barbican Theatre to 2- January 2007
Mon - Sat 7.15pm Mat 2pm - 10, 13, 17, 20 Jan
Runs 2hrs 30mins
TICKETS: 020 7638 8891
www.barbican.org.uk
Review: Geoff Ambler 5 January 2007
The Barbican sets itself above the rest with a dream of a seasonal show
The festive season may be long gone but the pantomime season continues a few more weeks at the Barbican. With a mixture of household names and musical theatre adepts and a script by Mark Ravenhill, it’s pulled together a traditional panto with the kind of cast most West End shows can only dream of.
The show’s complete with Principal Boy Dick Whittington, magnificently played by Summer Strallen, one of this year’s most adaptable performers, in thigh-slapping glory and Panto Dame Sarah the Cook, Roger Lloyd Pack complete with pantomimic fake hair, bust, rear, eyelashes and outlandishly disturbingly revealing outfits, as well as a cornucopia of double and single entendres. Then there’s Alderman Fitzwarren, a brilliantly comedic Sam Kelly; King Rat baddie, Nickolas Grace provoking requisite boos and hisses, Fairy BowBells played by a delightfully well cast Debbie Chazen whose feet never touched the stage. And lastly Dick Whittington’s love, “the beautiful girl in the nice dress,” Alice Fitzwarren played by Caroline Sheen, all bouncing ebullience, subtly effective humour and most definitely the beautiful girl in ‘nice’ dresses.
These accomplished actors are supported by a similarly high standard of ensemble, along with young performers from the Italia Conti Academy. You get a better class of Rat Extra at this Barbican panto, displaying tutus of grace and confidence.
Everything about this show feels seasonally traditional and, beautifully designed, includes such annual favourites as the soaking of the audience, the slapstick comedy piece complete with gunking the clown, Totally Lazy Jack, played by the endearing but loud Danny Worters and finally the enticing of young cute children onto the stage for the song sheet sing-along.
It is just a tad too long but as it is imbued with all the energy and enthusiasm that a cast of this calibre bring, it easily gets away with it.
Roger Lloyd Pack’s panto dame is unmissable, especially during his dance of the seven veils, and the pairing of Summer Strallen and Caroline Sheen, two of the West End’s finest musical actresses, turns a great panto into a brilliant show
Dick Whittington: Summer Strallen
Alice Fitzwarren: Caroline Sheen
Totally Lazy Jack: Danny Worters
Sarah the Cook: Roger Lloyd Pack
Alderman Fitzwarren: Sam Kelly
Fairy Bowbells: Debbie Chazen
Tommy The Cat: Derek Elroy
King Rat: Nickolas Grace
Totally Lazy Jack: Danny Worters
Ensemble: Chloe Campbell, Robin Colyer, Zoe-Leone Gappy, Christopher Hawes, Shaun Henson, Miles Jupp, Natasha Lewis, Sean Parkins, Joanne Sandi, Toby Sedgewick, Mel Slaky
Director: Edward Hall
Designer: Michael Howells
Musical Director: Sarah Travis
Choreographer: Emma Tunmore
Associate director: Tom Daley
2007-01-08 00:43:35