I love Bench theatre. Their dedication to produce plays most non-professionals wouldn’t tackle, and at the highest possible standard, gave me the opportunity to see plays ranging from Shakespeare to Sarah Kane on my doorstep while I was still studying for my GCSEs. I have seen productions there which have far excelled some I have seen on the West End. They are essentially in my opinion, the reason to visit Havant.
So when I heard they were producing a pantomime, I knew it would be a good night out, and naturally dragged a couple of car loads of my friends down from Croydon for the weekend.
Firstly, Mark Wakeman has written a really excellent script which offers just the right mix of a traditional story with modern references. There were plenty of jokes for the grown-ups but lots of ‘he’s behind you’ stuff for the kids. It also didn’t go too smutty or contain lots of in jokes for the locals, referencing pop culture and TV instead which made it very relevant. We particularly liked the way the story followed the familiar tale of Cinderella but veered off after the ball to give us extra plot and characters.
The ugly sisters, played by Terry Smyth and Callum West, were hilarious, and a particular favourite among my friends, one of whom insisted on getting a photograph with them afterwards (above). Dan Finch and Mark Wakeman really set the scene as the story tellers, keeping the story moving and the audience laughing. I also thought Flic Jolly had a great pantomime style as Cinderella as did Lorraine Galliers as the fairy godmother.
What really made the pantomime magical was the contagious energy of the cast and the truly spectacular set and costumes. The beautiful hand-painted sets were so lovely I wanted to take them home for my own house. Now OK I’m a bit biased about the costume because my mum led the team of talented people behind them, but I think anyone who sees this production will agree they are truly amazing. From the bespoke patterned tailcoats which looked straight out of a Vivienne Westwood collection to the adorable horses, they were a joy to look at. Each character had different costumes for the ball and many had more than two or even three different outfits making this a real feat.
I think what I love most about this panto is that it gives local parents the opportunity to take their kids to a Christmas show they will all love without breaking the bank. No need for fireworks or past-it celebrities, take the kids to this and you will make their Christmas.
Oh and it goes without saying, the turkey in scene one was totally awesome.
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