Pantomime: the quintessential Christmas treat. Characters, plots and twists

are deeply familiar and so much in keeping with the curious rituals that

mark the season of goodwill. This production stays true to the tradition of

the genre and, despite the complete absence of the jolly whiskered old gent

and the cobbling together of several Lewis Carroll creations, it has all the

elements we expect and demand to satisfy the acknowledgement of the

past while providing fresh and contemporary entertainment.

The winding path to the Globe is decorated with huge colourful paper

flowers and the old bench has been painted in bright stripes. The audience

is greeted at the door by a pair of unlikely comedians dressed as pages. Of

course it is Tweedledum and Tweedledee, played by Kieran Townsend and

Charlie Milne. They are full of good humour and present prizes to customers

who have dressed up for the occasion. They are young but are brimming with

confidence and it is infectious. They are ready to perform and it is such a pleasure

to see an amateur production which is so well rehearsed. This has been a huge

undertaking. 

There are thirty performers and even more crew. It is a credit to the director,

Penelope Hare, musical director Tobias Devereux and the production

manager Brent Caldwell that the entire cast maintains its focus throughout

and has a really high energy level. They are enjoying themselves and the

audience is very happy to join in.

All the old favourites are faithfully included and there are strong shouts of

“They’re behind you!” and heartfelt booing when the opportunity arises.

Nic Turner is a strong pantomime dame as the Right Royal Red Queen and

Zac Henry’s Bandersnatch makes an evil henchman rabbit that the

audience loves to hate. There are enough off-colour jokes and innuendoes

to give the adults in the audience some amusement but nothing to frighten

the horses and the dear little bunny babies are greeted with general delight.

Alice (Lizzie Thomson) is the classically beautiful blonde in a blue dress and

white pinafore. Some things are so ingrained that an audience would feel cheated

without them. The Jabberwocky (Libby Maclennan) does provide a surprise, but

is a great hit. Mention should be made of the Mad Hatter (Mitchell McCarthy) who

is truly mad and whose energy lifts all his scenes.

The whole ensemble works together and there is a strong sense of teamwork.

Certainly there are larger roles but the small ones still seem important and the

message of the play is conveyed in the sharing of the stage as well as the music and

lyrics. Not all the singing is strong but it holds together and Tōmuri Spicer as Harry

( a nod to Harry Potter?) has a great voice and underpins many of the songs.

The script rocks along and the actors’ pace keeps it moving. I am intrigued

by the absurdist mingling of the Wrong Rabbits with The Walrus and the

Carpenter and there are a few puns and word gags which don’t quite get

the timing they need. Generally the diction and audibility is excellent and

the director should be congratulated for setting such a high bar.

The play is long – two and a half hours including the interval. There are not

many children on a school night. It is a production that should appeal to

many age groups and I hope people will take advantage of the matinee.

The Globe has thrown its weight behind this production and should be

proud of the result. There is still good theatre happening in Dunedin.

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer

The show starts near the street, with decorated trees and artificial flowery creations beckoning us to the theatre. On arrival at the special preview we’re welcomed by colourfully dressed young people who cheerfully check us in.

Once the show proper starts, we’re led into a standard panto quest. Alice tumbles into the task of finding the key to rewind the Grand Clock and thereby save Wonderland from the Wrong Royal Red Queen and her evil followers. Doing this entails, naturally, surviving many trials and overcoming many obstacles.

Director Penelope Hare has assembled a cast of 30 mostly young performers, all radiating confidence and enthusiasm. Lizzie Thomson as Alice has all the plucky charm of Lewis Carroll’s original, Nic Turner is a stunning pantomime dame as the Right Royal Red Queen, Zac Henry personifies nastiness as Bandersnatch, Tōmuri Spicer is refreshingly down to earth as Harry. I could go on and on, but special mention must be made of 11-year-old Libby Maclennan in the role of the Jabberwocky. 

Everyone dances, sings and generally entertains us for an hour or so, then after the interval (ice creams! tarts!) things take a darker turn and whether things turn out all right I will leave you to find out. …

For the full review, see the Otago Daily Times:

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/performers-radiate-aplomb-enthusiasm

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer