Reviews

Bishopstoke Players is a small group of locals, eager to please with their annual pantomime. With an adapted version of the traditional tale, the cast of 20-25 put their all into this performance, and going to see the pantomime was a great way to escape the January blues. Kate Robbins’ captivating portrayal of Cinderella alongside the ‘charming’ Prince Charming played by James Gould were quite literally a perfect match – thank goodness the shoe fitted! Their onstage chemistry went hand and hand and they both must be congratulated in holding this show together. Baroness Beaujolais (Katie Pink) and Baron Beaujolais

This year, in what can only be described as a hop, skip and a jump away from your traditional Dick Whittingtons and Cinderellas, the Castle Players are offering audiences a “bonkers” medley of Shakespeare, karaoke and pantomime as The Bard’s infamous tragedy Macbeth is rewritten as one the most farcical of all stage genres; pantomime. A risky venture and, naturally, intrigue underpinned my evening as I attended with many questions. Where would a pantomime dame fit into this story? Could Shakespearean tragedy be effectively converted to Shakespearean comedy? For those not familiar with Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, the basic plot concerns

Aladdin has proved to be a very popular choice of production in the local area this winter, whether a full-blown traditional pantomime, Disney’s Junior version or another musical variation, and I wasn’t sure before tonight’s production which version I would be seeing. In all honesty, that still wasn’t clear by the end of the evening as the production, written by Director Jayne Stephens, seems to fall somewhere between all forms of the tale. The scattered familiar aspects of pantomime are there, but seem more an aside to the audience within a new telling of an old, established story than an

Bedroom Farce, a comedy written by Alan Ayckbourn, is set in the 1970s with a cast consisting of four couples of varying ages. Ayckbourn’s clever uses of time and space makes this a very intricate and sophisticated comedy, whilst portraying the deterioration and rebuilding of relationships between the younger and older generations. The clever set consists of three beds depicting three separate bedrooms with the middle bedroom on a raised plinth. This was an effective use of space where each vignette was dressed appropriately for the age of the occupants. The lighting is technically impressive and very effective, allowing each

The Railway Children tells the story of an Edwardian family forced to relocate from London to a house (The Three Chimneys) near the railway line in Yorkshire, after their father, a high-ranking civil servant at the Foreign Office, is imprisoned after being accused of spying. The story follows the trio of children (Bobby, Peter and Phyllis) in their various adventures and all of the people they meet along the way. This version of the story by Mike Kenny, was fast paced, humorous and full of enjoyment. Using the three children to retell the story, this production cleverly depicted the story

Gone are the days when you would attend a pantomime expecting to see tired jokes, tacky scenery and ongoing dropped lines. Pantomime has reached a golden age of modernization, bringing with it a real show which has something for everyone. This year Highcliffe Charity Players have produced a colourful spectacle, with a witty script, talented cast and a number of gags to make even the most serious person chuckle. Whilst no pantomime can fully rely on their script to provide all of the expected humour, it certainly helps! Written by Stephen Hutt and Charles Michael Duke, the script boasts a