Bishopstoke Players
Durley Memorial Hall, Durley
Anne Waggott
23 January 2025
Villainous Hades, god of the Underworld, is scheming to take over the Universe – and the only one who can stop him is Hercules, son of Zeus, king of the gods. Trouble is, Hercules doesn’t realise he’s a demigod, rather believing he’s a misfit living in a tiny village with his mother and brother… until he receives a message from Zeus, which sets him on a quest to fulfil his destiny to become immortal and defeat the monstrous Hades.
Well… what an unexpected little gem of a pantomime! Who would have thought that the Greek mythical tale of Hercules, half man, half god (and a tale that’s not a particularly happy one!), would have been the source of a genuinely laugh out loud panto? Playwrights Joshua Clarke and Lewis Clarke for starters – and thankfully Beth Bowers, who (at just 16 years old) has a bright future as a irector. In her debut as director of a full length show, she has overseen a very funny and well cast production, cantering along at a pretty good pace.
Pantomimes are often the first introduction of live theatre for young children. Bishopstoke Players have not only been supporting the charity Action for Children (helping disadvantaged children across the UK) for over 75 years, they also bring this ethos to their productions, nurturing their younger members alongside those with more experience. As well as Beth making her major directorial debut (assisted by Producer Barry Kitchen), there are some really strong performances amongst the young principal lineup.
Esme Millins is delightful and endearing as young Hercules, an admirable thigh-slapping principal boy in her first lead role, with Molly Smith equally as engaging, possessing a wonderful array of facial expressions as Meg, Hercules’ potential love interest, who has been enslaved by Hades and is under his control (at least that’s what Hades has planned!). Together they create a charming couple, with both having lovely singing voices. Although the backing soundtrack is occasionally pitched a little low for their young voices and they may have had a little trouble hearing the foldback on opening night, they both coped well, having crystal clear diction, and this in no way detracted from their overall performances.
Lola Barrett is excellent as Zak, Hercules’ rather dippy human brother, full of charisma, confidence, energy and enthusiasm. She lights up the stage every time she leaps onto it – and even the cutest Jason can’t outshine her!
Not to be outdone by their young counterparts, the terrible trio of Hades (a brilliantly Fagan-istic Colin Carter) and his minions, Pain (Kimberley Jones) and Panic (Kevin Bowers) are boo and hissable, and highly entertaining, while Pete Burton is the quintessential panto Dame as Hercules’ mother, Ma, enjoying a wonderful rapport with the audience.
The delightful Muses are bathed with beautiful ethereal lighting as they guide Hercules in his quest, although they were rather quiet and need to project more, particularly if future audiences become larger and louder.
The minimalist set and delightful array of Greek costumes, enhanced by Hades and his henchmen’s make up, all combine to warm up a cold, wintery Durley to a more temperate and balmier Greek climate, and Ma has a full array of Dame costumes to enjoy!
A few minor tweaks would raise this from extremely enjoyable to brilliant, but if you like your jokes particularly corny (there were as many comical groans as giggles!) in a traditional yet new pantomime, then this is the one for you – and this production definitely deserves to be seen by a larger audience. With a further three performances on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 January at 7:30pm (plus a 2:30pm Saturday matinee), tickets are available via phone (07871 006551), email or online.