Pantomimes are plentiful this time of year, from the lavish productions of the Palladium to the regular casts of regional theatres, with their pantomime staples and very familiar faces, some of whom only seem to crop up on stage once a year. Given the plethora of pantos, why choose this one, at the small but friendly Union Theatre?
Firstly, as the subject matter attests, this is not your normal pantomime. As the witty title – almost worth the ticket money alone! – denotes, we are not in traditional territory – no Cinderellas or Sleeping Beauties here, nor a beanstalk in sight (they do make excellent comedic use of a lonely tree at one point). We are in Narnia – cue a lovely running gag – in the territory of beloved children’s writer, CS Lewis, for an original take on his familiar world, transformed here into an amusing and uplifting story of gay acceptance. It might not have been what he initially intended but, in the hands of clever staging, a very funny book – with lots of puns, smutty gags, gay references and up to date jokes, taking on Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump and the almost compulsory dig at modern panto ‘villain’, JK Rowling – from Joshua Coley and a very talented cast, this Lewis-ly based (when the joke is good, recycle it – it is environmentally friendly!) story of war-time evacuees and budding boyfriends Peter – James Georgiou – and Eddie – Joe Pieri will raise smiles and spirits in equal measure. It is both familiar and fresh – and very, very funny.
Secondly, like the most skilled of judo players, this small but committed cast of four – I repeat, four – turn what could have been a weakness into a real strength, making the most of their own limitations in terms of staging, space and simple numbers (‘I have to go – there are only four of us’). Most of the cast play multiple parts. Pieri is both Eddie and, following in the footsteps of James McAvoy’s hairy hooved fawn, the far more welcome Mr Topless. Tom Duern alternates between belting out bangers – modern pop songs and some excellent re-worded musical numbers - and working the audience as both the Tight Bitch and the wonderfully named Barbara Douche, as well as playing one of the wartime mothers who bookend the show. There is some audience participation – one very active moment where Duern showed a keen eye for selecting his victims – and a lot of pointed insults thrown around. Georgiou feels almost lazy in comparison, playing only one role, but it is the central part of Peter, who makes the biggest journey, both literally and figuratively out of the closet.
Special mention must be made of Katie Ball, the pocket dynamo of the cast. Sasha Regan, producing, directing and choreographing here in a most inventive way, has normally worked with all male casts for her Gilbert and Sullivan musicals. She might want to reconsider this to use Ball again in the future – she seemed to be everywhere, playing multiple parts, from evil sidekick to large rumped lion – lots of fun to be had with that – to the helpful Beaver (even more fun was had with that – Naked Gun’s Frank Drebin – ‘nice beaver’ - would have been proud)
And, then there is the staging, making their more limited space and budget the joke, breaking the fourth wall regularly, whether to explain too rapid costume changes or the age appropriateness of the actors. One simple sight gag with a train announcement said it all – you don’t have to be big to be brilliant.
Finally, this is a panto for adults – so if your inner child still wants to go, but you don’t want actual children around, then this is the place for you. A five-star evening – one for each of the talented cast, one for the combined efforts of cast and crew – of filth and fun.
It runs until 4 January. Tickets: here.
Review: David Brown