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Society : Argosy Players
Production : Dick Whittington and his Cat
Date : 2I st January 2005 2004
Venue : Winston Churchill Theatre
Report by Tony Austin
It's a confident Director who sets out his Mission Statement at the front of the programme for his first production for all to read, and I'm happy to say that SAM WEBB proved on the first performance in Argosy's hectic panto weekend that his and the Society's confidence was not misplaced. There were, as always, things which didn't go perfectly on the first night, with unscheduled pauses between some scenes and difficulties, with the setting and masking of the innovative ship's prow which will have gone more smoothly at later performances after the extra practice, and with some cast members who didn't project quite enough for complete clarity or played too much down to the front rows, but they should be cured for future performances by steadied nerves or by notes from the Director (or if he had to be backstage from whoever was observing Front of House on his behalf). I hope whoever was there also noted the apparent difficulties of the staff on the doors in tearing tickets quickly enough to admit the audience in time for a prompt start, and how they allowed even later arrivals to enter the hall by themselves and on the wrong side, to the detriment of early parts of the show. With things on stage prepared so well, it was a pity to spoil things with an amateur performance on the doors. Perhaps there should be a rehearsal or training session for Front of House staff.
I note that the title is now "Artistic Director', and commend the concept (and its execution by the holder of the position) which resulted in a unified feel to the whole proceedings and many extra touches to add to our delight. The initial announcement, ending with a mobile telephone ring brought a giggly gasp from the audience! ROBIN DEARING's small combo (I only saw two of the three players listed) was markedly different from previous pantomime accompaniment, playing an emphatic overture (to which the audience listened!) and later gave positive leads and helpful accompaniments to all manner of songs and dances (only in the Sultana's number being too loud for her words to be heard easily). The lighting, (by JOHN JETTEN, I fancy, rather than the John Setten listed in the programme, aided by EMMA PILE on Follow Spot), was used during the overture to help keep the audience quiet while raising their initial excitement level with a super demonstration of what moving lights can do with gobos, colour scrollers and glitterballs, and later enhanced all the scenes and numbers With variety, subtle or unsubtle as appropriate, and only once (I presume accidentally) faded to black at the end of a number when it wasn't the end of a scene. The use of one moving light to roam the auditorium to spot people being greeted from the stage was another wonderful demonstration of the operator's skill and the light's potential, although I'm not sure in that situation whether having the house lights up instead isn't more conducive to audience participation. Sound, probably not by Dennis Carter but DENNIS CATER, contributed to the overall effect, keeping almost everything easily and comfortably audible.
Sets, made by MEMBERS to designs by KEITH FRENCH and EMMA MOWARD, ingeniously converted the Old London outdoor scene to the shop interior, though the moving ship was invisible from Seat J3. More ingenuity for the two on board scenes was then topped by the apparent luxury of the Sultan's Palace, achieved with amazing economy by four flats brilliantly painted in perspective as Moorish arches and little else but lighting. Superb! The lamppost/palm tree flat down stage left perfectly integrated that area into the action as intended. And whoever was responsible for the thunderflashes to emphasise good or evil or just to delight the audience with their spectacle also deserves congratulations.
Evil was strongly represented by LOUIS BRETT as King Rat, a true pantomime
baddie, consistently threatening to cast and audience alike in his leathers
and glitter jacket. His first entry from the sewer was a great surprise
and further entries and returns there were athletically precise and effective.
He made the most of the role, snarling his dialogue dearly and making
the best ad?lib of the evening, put over his number with great attack
and his swordplay look
likely to upset the plot. Good doesn't get as involved in the action,
but LOUISE JOHNSON shone as Fairy Silver Chime, looking as if she was just
off the top of a very expensive Christmas tree and getting her rhyming
couplets over With clarity and warmth.
The CHORUS opened the London Docks scene with a bang, singing with gusto and clarity (evidently well trained by MDs JENNY RIGBY and ROBIN DEARING), looking confident and well co?ordinating their movements. And they continued to make an impact on their later entrances, reacting wonderfully in surprise at the missing money, singing clearly and dancing with nicely varied steps. The addition of the DANCERS to the ensemble added to the choreographic possibilities, all well exploited by CHRIS BURTT, to produce the widest variety of chorus dancing I recall by Argosy, with the talented older foursome of GRACE BARHAM, NATASHA CLAYTON, HOLLY?ANNA LLOYD and EMMA STRUTT also starring in their own sequences as tapping blonde bombshells, money girls, sailors, swimmers, harem girls and (augmented) in the transformation ballet and CHLOE ALLUM, ABBIE KIRKBY, HELEN LUCAS and PHILIPPA SARRATT acting delightfully as little rats and also showing their dancing prowess. And ALEX and CHRISTOPHER SMITH seemed fully at home in the chorus, with their cheeky dialogue and as the smallest ever Beefeaters.
The real star of the Moroccan episode was the scene itself, with the spectacular costumes ? the high point of exceptional work throughout from JILLY LLOYD and JUDY KELLY ?complemented by the glorious scenery and lights. SHELAGH SCARBOROUGH's Sultana looked magnificent, as did all the guards, although words at that stage were hard to distinguish.
Alderman Fitzwarren's role seemed to be written without any humour or characteristics except the inability to pronounce the letter R, but ANGUS PATRICK emphasised that properly and managed to invest him with gentle authority and considerable charm ? until his well?played appearance clad only in the in the barrel with the bottom out made the role unforgettable!
CARMEL BASS's eccentric Idle Jack started the comedy a little intimately for a large hall and displayed nervousness with too many "All right’s, but soon settled down and paired well with STEVE BROWN'S practised Sarah, equally at home with strings of jokes old and new and performing "Smile” with the dancers. He showed how to underline an innuendo with a look and how to react to the audience, although I did wish that when one of the front row provided early punch lines he would still have shared the rest of the jokes with the rest of the audience.
PETER DOKIC and DEBORAH BECKETT formed another good comedy duo as Captain and Mate, effectively putting over their mainly naval humour and the song, and communicating well to get super participation from the audience, with his role expanding as suitor for Sarah, which he carried off with just the right knowing detachment, and as a scene?changing assistant.
JOSEPHINE McHUGH and HAYLEY PRICE made a well?matched pair as Dick and Alice, looking superb, putting over their dialogue with conviction, singing tunefully and not being put off by a little help from friends in the front row. A believable loving relationship. Their mobile phone duet was beautifully done and obviously struck a chord with the younger members of the audience. Super characterisations which made us remember the story was about them, however much the comedians tried to dominate it. Or the cat! A new sort of role for CAROL ABBOTT to use to steal scenes as Tommy, wonderfully expressive in everything from catching rats to winning the hearts of the children when his paw was hurt, and taking all the attention during the song which followed. I liked the way he was used to bridge scenes, but think he should have chased the rat and not the other way round. Three great performances!
I see I haven't mentioned the undersea ballet and the silly jokes, which the Director knows that kids love, but which give great delight to at least some of us adults as well. Oh yes, ~they do! Or the well?performed triple?handed tongue twister to which the same comment applies. Or the tasteful way the double?entendres were put over: although this is my third "Dick Whittington" of the season, it is the first one in which Dick was threatened with exposure! And the transformation scene at the end of the first Act was beautifully and spectacularly achieved. I did think the calling out of the names of those in the audience went on rather too long, but I Suppose if you have a special scene, with very special scenery, entirely devoted to it and with no room for anything else you need to use it for long enough to justify its construction.
MY thanks to your talented Director, to the cast, to the hard working
STAGE CREW under SM TREVOR SMITH and to all those involved in putting on
such a super show. And my very best wishes for "Little Voice" in May.