Wiltshire

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The panto has to be one of my festive highlights, so I couldn’t wait to hotfoot it over to Salisbury Playhouse for this year’s all-singing, all-dancing production of <a href="https://www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dick Whittington</a>. After an incredible year of productions from this impressive theatre, expectations were high – as was excitement from the kids.



Written by Plested, Brown and Wilsher, and directed by Gareth Machin, this season’s panto is choc-full of outlandish outfits and toe-tapping tunes. Add in great singing, dancing and comedy capers, and you’ve got a ginormous dollop of good old-fashioned festive fun.



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Our hero for the night was Dick Whittington [Will Carey], a jovial chap who hails from Salisburyshire. Determined to find his fortune, he heads to London with his cool cat Cosmo [Lindo Shinda] in tow. But instead of finding streets paved with gold, he stumbles upon a city that’s under threat from corrupt mayor, King Percy Rat, and his crew of dastardly rodents.



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No panto is complete without a Dame, and this show treats us to a rip-roaring performance from seasoned star, David Rumelle. He plays our hero’s mum, Sarah the Cook, who simply adores her dick (cue much chortling from the adults). Together with love interest Alderman Fitzwarren [Hugh Osborne], the pair form a brilliant sparkling double act.



Of course, the classic panto capers don’t stop with the Dame. Antics include glitter explosions, pyrotechnics and a watery surprise. You can expect bucketloads of audience participation too – it wasn’t long before children and adults alike were up on their feet, dancing away.



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In fact, right from the off, the song and dance adds a real kick of razzle dazzle to this production, with showstoppers including I’m Gonna Be (500 miles), Spaceman and The Rocky Horror Show’s Time Warp. 



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Olivia Hewitt Jones, who plays Dick’s love interest, has a beautiful voice, as does Natalie Winsor. She brings glitz, glamour and powerful vocals as the magical Fairy Bowbells, and strikes some impressive moves in her towering pink platforms. Add in splashy, glittering sets and more costume changes than you can shake a snowball at, and it’s a winning formula.



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An extra special shout-out goes to Will Jennings, who plays the deliciously scheming King Percy Rat. His ludicrous facial expressions, moonwalking and crazed moves had both adults and children exploding into fits of giggles, and my brood definitely dubbed him the star of the show. Dick himself is played perfectly by the eminently loveable Will Carey, who cheerily encourages the audience to shout, “hiya Dick,” whenever he appears on stage.



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Of course, panto wouldn’t be panto without a decent dose of bawdy humour, and this production certainly doesn’t disappoint. The smut is perfectly pitched though, and delivered alongside a brilliant smattering of slapstick which had everyone from tots to grandparents and even cynical teens chuckling away. It’s packed full of crowd-pleasing pop culture mentions too, including a brief but brilliant Baywatch skit, and even a singalong to Smelly Cat, the iconic ditty from Friends. &nbsp;



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From the well-choreographed dance routines to the colourful sets and quick-fire jokes, this show certainly sucks you into the panto magic. It’s bold and brilliant, and I defy you not to come out with a massive smile on your face.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT </h2>



GOOD FOR: Families after feel-good, festive fun. My children range from seven to 13 and they all loved it, but we spotted loads of grandparents getting into the spirit of things too.



NOT FOR: Kids under the age of four. They might find some scenes scary, and 140 minutes is quite a big ask for a toddler (although that does include an interval).



<a href="https://www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk/events/dick-whittington" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dick Whittington</a> is at The Salisbury Playhouse, Malthouse Ln, Salisbury SP2 7RA until 7 Jan. <a href="https://www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk/events/dick-whittington#dates-and-times" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Book your tickets here.</a>

Review: Dick Whittington at Salisbury Playhouse

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