‘We’re off to see the Wizard’

Theatre Review by Joe Adambery

Its Panto time and there’s no better choice than the classic ‘Wizard of Oz’ presented by Theatre Makers at the Inces Hall this week, with matinees added this weekend and next. I attended the dress rehearsal which had an enthusiastic audience. Small but loud enough to partake in hisses and boos as well as take in the jokes, the laughter and cringes, essential to wholesome Panto repartee.

An adorable Dorothy (Aanya Sosa) kicks it off with a very brief monologue at curtains front, then a colourful chorus ensemble of over twenty infants take the stage in a song and dance number, taking us on a wonderful ride, suspending belief and reminding us that this is what January is for. This panto has four witches, two good ones and two evil ones, one of which was trampled by a house falling from the sky! Red slippers are borrowed from the dead witch for Dorothy so that the journey to Emerald city with her aunt Emily (Anthony Loddo) can begin. They need to see the Wizard (Leeroy Woodjets) but they are not alone. Wicked witch Leticia (Harriet Seed) wants the magic red slippers.

They meet Scarecrow (Tim Seed), Lion (Oli Tavares) and Tinman (Harry Kumar) before they set off. Scarecrow needs a brain, Lion needs courage and Tinman needs a heart. Dorothy and aunt Emily need to be transported back to Kansas from whence they had been uprooted by a tornado. The story is evergreen and the journey on the yellow brick road to Emerald city is beset with adventures and misadventures, fertile ground for much silliness, great musical dance numbers and magical happenings that the evil witch wants to spoil and control.

Everything is totally possible. Aunt Emily has all the puns including local ones and she’s always ready for reactions when she prompts the audience. She gets laughs and ridicule in equal measure but the wicked witch of the west Leticia only gets hisses and boos. Dorothy always gets our sympathy as do her fellow travellers and life in Oz is mostly happy and colourful. Let me say here that this Panto is a winner on many levels. The children in choruses were excellent. Songs were well sung and danced. Props were seamlessly changed around and the lighting and effects were spot on. At front row I was hooked and happy to be so.

Suspension of belief led to enthusiastic audience participation throughout and Directors Margaret Seed, Erika McGrail and their team are to be congratulated for achieving a landmark production, one of their best, which should see the Inces Hall theatre packed throughout its run. Fun for children from nine to ninety is guaranteed, so leave all your Panto preconceptions behind at home and ‘be off to see the wonderful Wizard of Oz!’ And be sure to take a smattering of wide eyed children with you to help you boo the wicked witch and enjoy the wonderful British tradition that is Pantomime for believers of humour, fantasy and winter fun. So well done to everyone involved in keeping Panto on the Rock real and wholesome.