The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Pantomime
What. Did. I. Just. Watch?
It was Launceston’s 35th Annual Pantomime, apparently, but it was unlike any panto I’ve seen. OK, it has been a while, but still, this was something else again. Having seen and enjoyed their Highland Dancing spectacular earlier this year, I can’t say I was not expecting a reasonably high standard of dance and mood, but…given that this one is a panto, I maintained a certain equanimity going in.
Seriously this show has everything.
Full praise to the co-directors. Their combined imaginations created a fully theatrical and thoroughly entertaining family event.
It opens like any regular production. Lights flashing, sirens blaring, spotlights pointing every which way, when suddenly the stage is literally flooded with children of all ages. They portray the frightened English families who gathered at railway stations to send their children off to safety during The Blitz in WWII.
Watching the littlies perfectly mimicking the jostling train movement by jiggling up and down, and leaning forward and back for each stop, had me grinning from ear to ear.
They honestly just looked like small adults completing the task. With a video backdrop showing the passing countryside as viewed through train windows completing the visual - this well-polished scene really set the tone for the attention to detail that followed.
Enter - stage left - our Narrator; a suitably stuffy Justin Clausen, who then held the audience in the palm of his hand throughout.
What ensues is part play, part musical and part dance recital. Honestly, it’s not until about a third of the way in, that we're reminded it is actually a panto, when Justin breaks the fourth wall to address the audience directly. Incidentally, at this opening matinee performance - the audience was three quarters children.
The choreography featured lots of Highland Dancing to appropriate Celtic music; transitioning to ballet, jazz, modern and hip-hop performed to a surprising variety of contemporary pop tunes by artists from Michael Jackson to Taylor Swift.
The icing on the cake was that many of these songs featured very capable vocal performances by the kids themselves - with some lovely ensemble singing work to boot. The featured players were all triple threats. I don't think it's right to name any more names because honestly, there were too many performances worthy of mentioning.
And as the saying goes, there are no small parts! Oh, and I can’t name the costumers either, but it’s because they were all family and friends of the company. I’m completely stunned by this - the costumes looked so professional. This production definitely "took a village".
Having seen the Roe Sisters’ Celtic dance spectacular “Out of the Mist” earlier this year, I should have had an inkling of what to expect from the dancing side of things, but even the teeniest tiny dancers were poised and focussed.
And when the entire company were on stage - there would be nary a bare, square metre of unfilled floor space and somehow it never looked too chaotic - it just resembled a colourful, human mandala with many moving parts.
Part of the joy of watching shows like this is getting a kick out of how much the smallest members of the audience enjoy it. The obligatory “he’s behind you” moment in the show nearly sent me deaf.
And yet, for a kids’ panto, there were many narrative scenes when you could’ve heard a pin drop. Furthermore, with a running time of just under two hours with no break, the children remained enthralled throughout. I really don't think I can offer higher individual praise to the very large principal cast than simply by mentioning that. Well done everyone!
Rose Cooper
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