Pantomimes are a truly special form of theatre, unique in how much they rely upon the liveliness of the audience, but likewise how special an experience they can create for an audience. Adding in cross-dressing, slapstick, and fun, recognisable songs, they are a recipe for an exciting couple of hours for kids and adults alike, and Blackwood Players Inc. enthusiastically embraced the spirit of pantomime in their production of The Wind in the Willows.
In his own adaptation of the script by Kenneth Grahame, director Myles Leon capably assembled an entertaining production with a cast that spanned a range of ages and experience levels. Sam Grieger was well-suited to lead the show as the lively and bombastic Toad, demonstrating great stage presence and a keen ability to work an audience. Several moments of clever ad-libbing saw Grieger capitalise on the comedic crescendos of the performance. He was well supported by James Hanna as the charming and well-spoken Ratty, who worked well with the timid and introverted Mole, ably performed by Meredith Krieg.
Zachary Baseby as the cheerful and wacky Aunt Millie, the Dame of the show, was an audience favourite, and had them well-trained to celebrate his every entrance. He brought the house down and hammed it up with his performance of “I Need a Hero.” Jonathon Montgomery also delivered the strength his character needed as Prince William, with good projection.
Cher O’Brien as the devious and sly Bubbles cannot go unmentioned, portraying the perfect pantomime villain with excellent physicality. O’Brien, Felicity Small as her sidekick Squeak, and EleanorMae Lawson, Amber Faull and Lucy Rosenberg as their gang of weasels and stoats had a wonderful and hilarious dynamic with some great comedic timing and displays of impressive choreography during their several numbers. Their creative parody of Billie Eilish’s “bad guy” was an absolute show-stopper.
There were some technical hitches and awkward scene transitions, though I acknowledge that the cast and crew navigated a bout of illnesses in their final week of rehearsals, and no doubt the show will only get tighter as they keep performing. The costumes by Felicity Small and set by Leon and Manuela Steel provided much visual appeal to the production.
There were also some moments of low pace and energy, particularly at the start of the second act, which perhaps could be helped by some minor script trimming. However, this picked up brilliantly after a funny “he’s behind you!” interaction with one young audience member, which the cast responded to superbly and used to heighten the comedy of the scene. I mentioned earlier the importance of an active audience – it is the mark of a strong cast that can flexibly allow a spontaneous interaction like this to influence the performance and create a hilarious moment that gives the audience something to laugh about on the drive home.
It was great to see so many young kids both in the audience and on the stage enjoying the fun and ridiculousness of a pantomime. I note that the Blackwood Players hope to continue with more children’s productions in the future, which I applaud and wish them the very best for. If they continue to attract and engage a young audience the way they have with The Wind in the Willows, no doubt there will be many more hilarious moments to follow (oh no there won’t/oh yes there will!).
