The pressure was on, it was Chippy’s 50th panto, and Dick Whittington had to deliver.
And oh yes it did, from the moment Dick and his cat Whittington stepped onto stage, we were hooked.
book your seats, because Chippy has taken their panto offering to a whole new level this year
Howling with laughter, shouting at the baddies, singing along, dancing in our seats, catching sweets, booing and aahing, in terms of audience enjoyment it doesn’t get better than this.
We were swept along with Dick and Whittington arriving in London to start new lives. A rat epidemic c/o Queen Rat meant that its residents are living in fear, but luckily Dick (Gregor Duncan) meets Alice (Megan-Hollie Robertson) the wanna-be explorer, who takes them home and gives him a job.
Regardless of the brilliant plot, the cast is truly exceptional, not a dud note amongst them
As sous chef to Sal M’Nella the Dame, (played so brilliantly by Chippy favourite Andrew Pepper) predictably it all goes horribly wrong, the addition of cow dung to the steak pie (long, hilarious story) ensuring the duo are back out on the streets in no time.
But not before Dick has fallen for Alice, and he manages to smuggle themselves on board the Maid of Plywood, where Alice is the cook, bound for Petiti, a small island where puddings are banned (The Petiti sweetie treaty) and the Contessa rules with a fearsome reputation and a wonderful taste in elaborate clothes.
A storm worthy of The Tempest maroons them, worth it for the synchronised swimming scene alone, but everything comes out in the wash; Alice realising she can be a famous explorer and have a boyfriend at the same time, the baddies seeing the error of their ways, and true love prevailing.
In fact, except for poor Eugene on the front row- the object of Sal M’Nella’s lust for most of the first half until he’s dramatically ditched for Alice’s Victorian father Horace (Gareth Cooper), everyone is happy.
it’s the script that really shines -it’s so clever and funny, not a word wasted when it could be making us laugh or groan
Regardless of the brilliant plot, and really what does it matter, because the usual tomfoolery, gags, ridicule, songs, silliness, outfit changes and bawdy jokes (the title helped) accompany them wherever they go, the cast is truly exceptional, not a dud note amongst them.
From Sal M’Nella‘s perfect comic timing (“If you were an apple you’d be a Golden Delicious” to Ada Campe‘s Queen Rat, now my all-time favourite baddie, (pitched somewhere between Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Trott from The Vicar of Dibley) Evie James as the Contessa (think Queenie in Blackadder), and of course the brilliant local children, the Pippins who were absolute naturals.
a visit to Dick Whittington should be compulsory to cheer us all up
But it’s the script that really shines because it’s so clever and funny, not a word wasted when it could be making us laugh or groan (“Butter my bum and call me a sandwich), this year hailing from John Terry‘s pen, the director of Chippy Theatre himself.
The set was brilliant, the costumes department had really pushed the boat out, the live music, choreography and compositions all shone – it really was an epic pantomime.
Chippy has really outdone itself this year and we came out feeling really Christmassy and hopeful, which let’s face it is a hard call at the moment. In fact a visit to Dick Whittington should be compulsory to cheer us all up.
So book your seats, because Chippy has taken their panto offering to a whole new level this year. https://www.chippingnortontheatre.com/whats-on/dick-whittington
KATHERINE MACALISTER
