THIS
STORY LAST UPDATED:
10 March 2004 1416 GMT
Wakey wakey rise and shakey |
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| Dick
Whittington at the Salisbury Playhouse |
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An
Elvis rat, dancing cat, seven foot lead lady and a couple of dodgy
coppers on a tropical island?
It must be panto time at the Salisbury Playhouse...
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Salisbury
Playhouse's production of Dick Whittington has all the elements
of a thigh slapping, it's behind you, boo, hiss, on no it isn't,
oh yes it is, sing-along pantomime.
Based loosely - very loosely - on the rags
to riches story of Dick Whittington the action swings seamlessly
from the streets of London to a South sea tropical island and back
again.
The result is a Muppets Treasure Island meets Graham Norton extravaganza
with smoke, fire works and Dairylea Dunkers.
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| Rebecca
Stokes as Dick Whittington |
Narrated
by the Fairy Bow Bells, a cross between Glenda the Good Witch and
Barbara Windsor, Dick arrives in London to seek his fortune.
However standing between Dick and his happy future lies King Rat
who surprisingly sports not only rat ears and tail but an enormous
50 foot, 50s style Elvis quiff with whiskers.
In fact King Rat is every Elvis impersonator's dream gig from the
lip curling early days to the fry dunking later days.
Hip swivelling and ah-ha-hahing he and his entourage of pint sized
bobby-sockers and teddy boys terrorise the city ... and are worth
every boo and hiss you can muster.
Needless to say they prove no match for hero Dick who rids the city
of the scourge of rats, gets the girl, gets the cat and finally
forces Ken Livingston to stand down as Lord Mayor and lives happily
ever after ....
... a happy ending most Londoners would appreciate.
Along the way a supporting cast of seven foot dame, sporting bowls
of fruit and a wardrobe that would make Dame Edna Everidge blush,
a couple of keystone cockneys, a dancing cat, Idle Jack and a pretty
lead lady ensure the jollies keep coming.
Some in your face sets, local back chat and whiz bang pyrotechnics
do the rest.
Although the first half of the show speeds past faster than a pie
in the face the momentum in the second half seems to flag a little.
Which, bearing in mind that you are sitting in the same chair for
three hours, is no mean feat.
Despite the slower pace the highlights of the second-half have to
be a surreal florescent/ultra-violet underwater scene and being
given the chance to shout your head off at the other half of the
audience in a 'singing' competition.
All in all a good shout for the kids and enough innuendo and 'over
their heads' comedy for their parents.
"Wakey wakey rise and shakey..."
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