For many families, a trip to the Bristol Hippodrome to see the Christmas Panto is a well-established annual event. Those that go this year will see a colourful, vibrant show starring the ever-popular Shane Ritchie, he of EastEnders fame. Mr Ritchie wears his 55 years lightly, but he wisely makes no pretence of being a ‘principal boy’. Instead, he brings a knowing, roguish charm to the title role. This Whittington has been around the block a few times. That lack of innocence is reflected in much of the humour; the first of many ‘Dick’ jokes arrives within ten minutes of the start, and their use becomes a little heavy handed. This is still a family-friendly show, but one that is generally aimed to please those well-above primary school age.
Dick Whittington has many of the features we associate with old-fashioned traditional pantomimes, including a villain to hiss and boo, a ‘Look out behind you!’ scene, and a Dame wearing outrageous costumes. Sadly, there is no custard-pie type slapstick, but there are those more modern elements that are very much the trademark of Qdos Entertainment, the production company that has dominated this neck of the theatrical woods for many years. Those elements include startling pyrotechnics, blindingly bright lights, amplified music and very ambitious visual effects, all of which contribute to an emphasis upon spectacle. No expense has been spared to create a kind of sensory overload. There are countless costume changes, and many energetic dance sequences. Once again, the skills of The Twins FX have been employed to produce a jaw-dropping moment or two. This year, the visual highlight is surely the sight of Dick at the wheel of a flying double-decker bus that soars out over the auditorium.
The story begins with the traditional folk-lore idea that Old London Town has been invaded by rats, but from that point on this tale is newly minted. These rats are led by Queen Rat, played with evil glee by Jennie Dale, using her long black tail as a whip. Queen Rat is actually subservient to a monstrous giant rodent with glowing red eyes, but he makes only one awesome appearance in the very first scene and is never heard of again. Jennie Dale is a convincing Queen Rat, but she interacts less frequently with the audience than might be expected of a panto villain.
The forces of good include Dick’s sweetheart Alice Fitzwarren, and her mother, sweet shop owner Sarah the Cook. Christine Tucker gives Alice a great deal of sparky energy, and David O’Reilly endows Sarah with a cackling laugh that could cut through steel. They are aided by salty old Captain Cockles, played by Peter Piper with a great deal of ‘oo arr’ and an unstable wig. Of course, there’s a cat too, performed with litheness by the very bendy Blair Cameron. That evil will not prevail is guaranteed by the Spirit of Bow Bells, a golden fairy portrayed with glittery goodness by Shona White. The narrative swiftly takes us away from London and on to a voyage to Morocco, on board Captain Cockles’ ship. A great deal of knockabout fun is supplied by the crew, performed with impressive agility by The Acromaniacs. The ship sinks, and there are further adventures underwater, followed by some exotic dancing at the Sultan’s palace. A satisfying finale is supplied by Dick and Alice’s glossy wedding celebrations, and somewhere along the line Dick becomes Lord Mayor of London, too.
Though this show is most certainly noisy and spectacular, it is the quieter moments that are perhaps the most memorable. There is a very funny tongue-twister sequence – ‘Shirley Shore’s sister Sharon sells sushi in the sushi store’ – and I would have liked more of that kind of material, and a little less of the razzle-dazzle. Qdos cannot be faulted for their very high production values, but a little more of the softer kinds of magic would be welcome. Tellingly, the most enchanting moment in last night’s show came when Shane Ritchie brought four very young children on to the stage. Here there were no special effects, and the dialogue was unscripted and spontaneous. His interactions with the children were delightful, and very funny.
Shane Ritchie’s many fans will enjoy his robust, Jack-the-Lad version of Dick, and this show will not disappoint those who enjoy the more spectacular kinds of pantomime. I see that tickets are already on sale for next year’s Snow White! ★★★☆☆ Mike Whitton 11th December 2019
