Theatr Clwyd, Mold have long held the baton in North Wales for the ‘cult’ panto and Dick Whittington: The Puuurfect Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto is certainly no exception. Suddenly, panto got cool!

Upon entering the auditorium, we are greeted with a partly open stage where it becomes clear that the band will be on view throughout the show. However, once the action begins, we see that the cast, are in fact, also the band; Tommy the cat goes from cartwheeling around after rats to playing the drums and Alice Fitzwarren is one moment seen swooning after Dick Whittington and the next rocking out on electric guitar! The small cast of ten are constantly on stage, unless they’re darting off for a quick costume change!

The costumes are fabulous; well thought out and often traditional but with hints of punk! King Rhydian the Rat’s costume reminds us of rock musician Adam Ant, and his minion rats, Scratch and Sniff, don large green wigs and wear tartan! Special mention must go to Sarah the Cook’s delightful Dame costumes which always provide a giggle upon entrance!

The writing offers the usual ‘oh no he isn’t’, ‘oh, yes he is’ type interactions as well as plenty of boos, hisses and an audience soaking! The most memorable gag, well deserving of a mention, is one in which Wally Fitzwarren is attempting to prepare his crew (Tommy the Cat, Dick, Alice, Harriet and Sarah the Cook) for their ship’s voyage. What ensues is a concoction of great physical comedy involving mops and a simple yet very effective ‘copy everything I say’ skit! Superb timing and snippets of the cast simply enjoying themselves as themselves with more underlying adult humor than your average panto! Also refreshing is the use of the Welsh language, heard plentifully throughout the production as the plot is brought from London to Mold, allowing the audience to feel more engaged with the action.

This production includes a stellar cast with phenomenal vocals, wonderful musicianship and a brilliant repertoire of songs including Bat (Rat) out of Hell, Nutbush City Limits, I’m Yours and In the Navy! It’s impossible to single out any cast member as all are truly fantastic in their own right. It’s always a tonic to witness a production which doesn’t need celebrity names to sell out and be a huge success!

The production runs until the 19th of January at Theatr Clwyd.

Theatr Clwyd, Mold

November 23^rd 2018-January 19^th 2019

Writer: Chris Patterson

Writer in Residence: Alex Murdoch (supported by Gladstone’s Library)

Director: Zoë Waterman

Assistant Director: Francesca Goodridge

Casting: Kay Magson CDG

Design: Adrian Gee

Musical Director: Tayo Akinbode

Choreographer: Will Tuckett

Technical: Mark Howland, Matthew Williams, Alec Reece, Edward Salt, Cassey Driver

Cast includes: Royce Cronin, Toby Falla, Phylip Harries, Daniel Lloyd, Alice McKenna, Peter Mooney, Lynwen Haf Roberts, Emmy Stonelake, Luke Thornton, Anna Westlake

Running time: Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes (inc. interval)