Image credit: Marc Brenner
Written by Jude Christian
Directed by Francesca Goodridge
Liverpool Everyman
With every passing year Panto season seems to come round quicker and this year is no exception. My first this year is at Liverpool Everyman and the weather heading into the city is a sleety blizzard with high winds guaranteed to wreck any freshly coiffered mane. Thankfully there is a warm welcome inside the Everyman and a thoroughly cheery production on the stage. Jude Christian has taken this classic Panto staple and set it in Liverpool with two hairdressing salons battling it out to the final blowout while a feisty Rapunzel escapes her prison and discovers family, friendship and freedom. This rock ‘n’ Roll take is full of crowd pleasing musical numbers and a multi-talented cast perform, sing and play all the instruments on stage.
The set and costume design by Janet Bird works brilliantly. The colourful stage on two levels with a magnificent four poster bed making frequent appearances is all bright pastels and glistening with glitter. The overall effect is a fun blend of a Barbie house merging with an Andy Warhol exhibition. The costumes are equally vivid and are further elevated with elaborate hair styles that look straight out of a Manga comic book. The Dame’s costumes are wittily designed to illustrate her ownership of the now fading salon The Blonde Bombshell. Decked out as an iconic Marilyn Monroe, a Scouse take on Lady Gaga’s infamous meat dress or as Madonna in a Gaultier conical corset while heavily pregnant; the designs all guarantee laughs for an on form Michael Starke as Debbie UpDo.
The multi-talented cast seem to relish in Francesca Goodridge’s lively fast paced production and the audience interaction is skillfully done and very effective. Adam Keast is a delight as Fairy Fixer-Upper and his blend of fey charm, mischievous asides and double entendres land well and make for good entertainment for all ages. Zoe West makes an excellent baddie as Mancunion rival Danny Ruff posturing like an overcharged quiff of testosterone as he tries to ruin his old Boss. Ai Kumar as Rapunzel and Rebecca Levy have great chemistry as the sweet duo seeking to escape the salon and find both independence and love. They are both vocally strong and provide a number of beautiful duets. Tomi Ogbaro and Emma Bispham are the salon assistants Trevor and Goop. The former is a hapless sweetheart while Goop is clearly modelled on the implacable Nessa from Gavin and Stacy. Ben Boskovic as Prince Timotei brings a nice silliness to the proceedings as the medieval Prince who seems a dead ringer for Lord Farquaad complete with his trusty steed Ed SheerRam.
Image credit: Marc Brenner
The musical numbers include Daytripper by The Beatles, a Blondie medley, numbers from Shania Twain, Lady Gaga and Queen. They all flow neatly within the script and involve a wide range of instruments played by all the cast. A genuinely fun night out for families that is colourful and entertaining with lots of surprises and laughs guaranteed. This is definitely a trip to the theatre where everyone is guaranteed to let their hair down and have fun.
Live Art Alive 