Ladies and gentlemen, hers and hims, welcome to the 2019 Oxford Playhouse pantomime. Steve Marmion, the Writer and Director, is a dab hand at this now, and his note in the programme about remaining loyal to the Great British Pantomime traditions of justice, gender fluidity, equality, feminism, diversity and downright stupidity, certainly hold fast. He always manages to reflect and tap into the issues and trends of the day, though he admits to going lightly on the politics this year. He is also able to entice performers back, year after year and I recognised three or four familiar faces.
Shadow play is used effectively to show the background to the story, how the prince was cursed to be a beast until someone falls in love with him for who he is. An orangutan called Brian, (Ricky Oakley) introduces himself and we quickly realise he is the ‘Buttons’ character – the funny, loveable, link with the audience. Why an orangutan? Well, there is a joke involved and why not! It’s panto! We then meet the other characters, (in an Instagram, snapshot sort of way), through the Backstreet Boys classic, Everybody, and much rapping occurs.
This is a very clever, fast-paced production with jokes a plenty and much play on words, as you would expect of an Oxford pantomime. It’s almost too fast-paced- blink and you will miss the jokes, but I am sure it will settle down in time. The cast shine and I particularly loved the baddies, the sassy Witch Kardashia (Dev Joshi) and Slick Rick (Ed Kingsley) who are terribly glamorous and more sarcastic than evil. Belle (Roseanna Frascona) is suitably strong and brave and her father, Endo (Stephen Hoo) is an endearing, slightly hopeless inventor. Gardener, aka Melon Man (Paul Biggin) is hilarious, especially in a song involving geraniums (you had to be there!) I missed Paul Barnhll, Marmion’s usual Dame, who was obviously indisposed, but Philip Pellew sufficed as a teapot, (Dame Potts) with a never-ending patter of tea jokes.
The interplay with the audience is very well done and the choice of mainly 80s music is fabulous, clap along heaven. The ensemble is strong, but somehow the story doesn’t always hang together, and is more a series of vignettes, rather than a whole piece. However, the reactions of the audience and the fun and laughter throughout mean that Oxford still has a winning panto formula. It ends with the very positive song, Walking on Sunshine and despite the chilly evening outside, we did! ★★★★☆ Karin Andre 8th December 2019
