Liverpool Epstein Theatre – until Sunday 16 April 2023
Reviewed by Jen Daley
4****
What an Easter treat for the whole family this Easter Panto was!
The whole cast gave in 100% to whip up the (initially, lukewarm!) crowd into an old school panto frenzy! Kudos must go to Chester the Jester (Reece Sibbald) and Dame Queenie (Mark Two) for mastering this so adeptly with their adlibs and tremendously troublesome tongue twisters. The lively, topical and funny script treads familiar family friendly ground but no panto would be complete without a quick-fire double entendre for the adults!
Costumes, hair and make- up were second to none and the multiple Queenie costumes were a sheer delight. Yes Queenie, I do like y’gear!
The sound engineering and lighting were not taken for granted by this reviewer. Faultless throughout. Always standing by for any freestyling that may happen.
Choreography and dancers (Nazene Langfield & dancers from Dynamix) were a step above and beyond a regular panto ‘step, kick, twirl’ effort. These routines were delivered with flair, precision, skill and a heck of a lot of panto pizazz!
Faultless too, were the musical arrangements (Callum Clarke) in this production. Nothing here from these well-known songs felt shoehorned in and the cast all shone in their musical numbers, especially Carabosse (Rachael Wood) whose voice was phenomenal…for a villain!
An all-round ideal Easter Extravaganza for the whole family. We were all hoarse from laughing, screaming and booing! Will you be disappointed? Oh no you won’t!