Review: The Fairytale Revolution: Wendy's Awfully Big Adventure at Theatre503
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| © Helen Murry |
Theatre503’s alternative panto is always a highlight of the festive season and this year is no exception. New-writing duo Anna Spearpoint and Louise Beresford connected after their stint acting in last year’s Cinderella and the Beanstalk (Sleeping Trees) and now the comic pair has delivered a raucous winter-warming all-female four-hander that's brilliantly bonkers!
In Neverland Wendy Darling, played exuberantly by recent graduate Anais Lone, is bored of the conventional fairytale trope where she’s doomed to mother Peter Pan (Helena Morais) and his ever so Lost Boys. Rebellious Wendy is determined to break free from her domesticated life and instead yearns for a brand-new story where she stars as a formidable sea-fearing pirate.
Fortuitously, she meets tortured aspiring poet Captain Hook, played with magnificent comic timing by Louise Beresford. Hook too, with his hilarious faltering haikus, wants out of his conventional role, and the pair hatch a Freaky Friday-style plan to subvert fairy stories throughout the land forever. Anna Spearpoint’s slightly unhinged exiled Baker’s Swife, who is seemingly married to a portable oven called Ken, teams up with the tearaways in Banishment, and their adventure begins in earnest.
The show really livens up when the cast performs the Time Warp-inspired number ‘Let’s Do the Pirate Again!’ The melodramatic duet between Wendy and Baker’s Swife, ‘Bigger Than Us’, with an hilariously exaggerated dance from Movement Director Belinda Chapman, is another musical peak. Beneath the silliness, the songs support the play’s empowering themes of courage, integrity and freedom.
Fortuitously, she meets tortured aspiring poet Captain Hook, played with magnificent comic timing by Louise Beresford. Hook too, with his hilarious faltering haikus, wants out of his conventional role, and the pair hatch a Freaky Friday-style plan to subvert fairy stories throughout the land forever. Anna Spearpoint’s slightly unhinged exiled Baker’s Swife, who is seemingly married to a portable oven called Ken, teams up with the tearaways in Banishment, and their adventure begins in earnest.
The show really livens up when the cast performs the Time Warp-inspired number ‘Let’s Do the Pirate Again!’ The melodramatic duet between Wendy and Baker’s Swife, ‘Bigger Than Us’, with an hilariously exaggerated dance from Movement Director Belinda Chapman, is another musical peak. Beneath the silliness, the songs support the play’s empowering themes of courage, integrity and freedom.
Plot lines, such as Tigerlily’s fate, come and fizzle out, but it’s no matter as deliberately spicy jokes, hefty puns and delightful cameo appearances from the likes of Pinocchio and Bo Peep, keep you engrossed—all under Carla Kingham’s expert direction. The show is bursting at the seams with much-loved characters, many delivered by the multi-talented Helena Morais. She switches deftly between Peter Pan, Smee, Prince Charming and a rather saucy witch among others, showing great range and vocal dexterity.
Overall it’s a completely oddball family-friendly Christmas treat jam-packed with songs, dancing, puppetry and copious amounts of experimental baking. It’s panto but definitely not as we know it!
Cocoa’s verdict: This show is suitable for all the family; expect lots of audience participation. Adults will knowingly groan at the jokes, and kids will love the puppets and sweets!
⭐⭐⭐
The Fairytale Revolution:Wendy’s Awfully Big Adventure is at Theatre503 from 4 December–31 December 2019
Running time: 2hrs (including interval)
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