The tale of Dick Whittington arrives at Cambridge Arts Theatre, where audiences flock from all over Cambridgeshire to be revived and uplifted by a feel-good performance of the well-known story.
The curtains are lifted as the music, and orchestral overture commences, with a joyous, merry tune, mixing a fusion of old and new songs, providing the audience with a taste of the key moods and theme of the performance. An artistic backdrop, reminiscent of those found in fairy-tale books of old London town, mixing a palette of murky browns, mauves and greens transports the audience to the streets of 1350.
In an astonishing display of fire-cracking pyrotechnics and a cloud of smoke, Fairy Bowbells is revealed wearing a sparkling tiara and golden bell-shaped crinoline, evocative of her name which is often and most irritatingly mistaken by the deceitful, rotten King Rat. King Rat enters after the Fairy’s opening monologue on a bell-rope to the evil sounds of cackling laughter. His emerald green, velvet costume consisting of a long grey rat’s tail and furry, grey headpiece complete with crown is a far cry from the Fairy’s beautiful, alluring attire. We immediately can differentiate the good from the evil, most evidently distinguished by the laughter and excitement contrasted by the booing and crying during King Rat’s wicked entrance.
The gauze behind the two characters illuminates with an eerie blue light, highlighting the outline of the London townspeople creating a tableaux behind the scenery. As the music begins the spotlights disappear along with the good and evil to invite the audience into the cheerful world of old London town. The ensemble clothed in a colour theme of red, white and blue dance and sing to the sounds of ‘Spread the Love,’ an instantly invigorating musical number taken from the current smash-hit musical ‘Sister Act.’ This of course, leads to the entrance of Dick Whittington, the hero of the tale along with his trustworthy and in this version, somersaulting, cat Tommy. The two instantly become friends, inviting the audience into their journey and creating a welcoming, animated atmosphere on both sides of the fourth wall.
Eagerly, the audience are transported through each scene, finding themselves at sea on the jolly old ship, ‘The Messy Bessy.’ Underwater, we see frolicking fish and shimmering seahorses in a ballet made possible by the UV lighting. The ruler of the underwater paradise, King Neptune simply glows an effervescent green in the ultraviolet lights, covered in clams and sea anemones he tempts Fairy Bowbells into an Oyster Fizz whilst most obviously attempting to win her affections in the renowned number ‘Beautiful Briny Sea.’
After abandoning the ship due to a raging storm at sea, the cast are left stranded in the unknown territory of Morocco. The lavish set really depicts the scene of the Sultans palace with ornately sculpted cornices, jewel encrusted pillars and sunken baths. The gold, orange and purple colour scheme gives a sense of royalty and the warm lighting design means you can almost taste the humidity in the air. Here we see, good conquer evil, as Dick and Tommy defeat King Rat and his gang of rotten rodents, leaving Dick elevated to the lofty heights of Lord Mayor of London.
The relationship between, sound, lighting, costume, cast and crew members makes this winter pantomime the marvellous spectacle that it is, leaving the audience completely refreshed and rejuvenated for the new year ahead. Without any doubt, a must see performance for adults and children alike.
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