Reviewed by Jacqui Mulady
Just days before Christmas, Santa is kidnapped and whisked off to a far distant planet. What ensues makes for a very unlikely situation, but full of laughs and high humour. Written by Paul Reakes this production was directed by Holly Holliday.
Tea Tree Players, in my mind, always serve up a wonderful nights’ entertainment, and this Christmas Panto is no exception. It has everything for both children and adults alike. Sam Evans as Vileun the Vile had the audience booing right from the first curtain. Michaela Phillips as Roberta the Robot, showcased her versatility both in dance and song. As Little Tommy Tucker, Caleb Bond was excellent, to the point I had a hard time working out if he is from Aus or whether he is just a wonderful character performer who stayed in character and accent for the entire show. Mike Phillips as Professor Atnas/Santa was very “well rounded” and the rest of the cast made for wonderful support. To me, however, the “Stellar” performance (excuse the pun) was from Damon Hill as Dame Dangle. Although a little Mrs Slocombesque, the children loved the visual and the adults were rolling in the aisles with the double meanings of his/her dialogue. Special mentions must also go out to Rob Andrews for both Lighting and Sound Design and to Peter Adamcewicz for Sound Operation. The reverb for Vileun was just the right amount without losing the dialogue and the opening scene had a spectacular Purple/Green display. Well done to the stage crew also for their very slick scene changes. All in all a great, fun show. Get along and see it before they sell out.
