It’s that time of year again (oh yes it is!). The time when adults and children alike join together in the theatre for the last time this year. Every year, this magical tradition brings classic fairytales and turns them into whacky and chaotic performances, which bring the spirit of Christmas alive. This year, the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford turned to the tale of Robin of Locksley, more commonly known as Robin Hood.
Pantomimes in the UK have a long-standing tradition of bringing audience participation into theatre. It is the only time of year when the normal rules of ‘no singing along’ and ‘no talking’ are more or less thrown out of the window (within reason, of course) to make way for pure unadulterated fun. This is definitely something the Yvonne Arnaud Panto does consistently well, creating a separate branch of communication with the actors, whilst being mindful of other fellow theatregoers.
As with last year’s performance of Cinderella, the beauty of the Panto lies in the book’s charm and ability to bring the audience to a state of riotous laughter with the simplest of jokes. The book in itself this year seemed slightly more intricate, but perhaps to the show’s detriment. Although this show was full of funny jokes, it was missing some slapstick moments. This classic aspect of Panto was, of course, present in the show but those moments were often short and fleeting. This meant that slower moments in the book felt slightly longer than they should have, breaking down the momentum the actors were trying so hard to build. However, this sure did not stop the audience from enjoying every moment.
The iconic trio of the Yvonne Panto is back for yet another year of booing and smashing pies in faces (yes, that did really happen). Eastenders’ star Lucy Benjamin reprises her role as the villain of the Panto, this year becoming the Sheriff of Nottingham. Once again delivering a comically powerful performance, making the audience boo and cheer simultaneously.
The standout performance awards must go, for the second year in a row, to Peter Gordon and Matt Pinches, who take on the roles of Nanny Fanny Annie and Much respectively. The mother and son duo once again bring the audience to tears with the crowd-favourite rendition of ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ including a fun (and sweet) twist.
The peak of the genius in costume design was more than apparent in Nanny Fanny’s wardrobe, with its flamboyant colours and eccentricities in the shapes. The comedic duo was definitely the highlight of the show.
The set design on the show was, once again, a great hit. With lavish colours and comically large features, including Nanny Fanny’s oven, the sets were definitely a highlight of this year’s Yvonne Arnaud Panto. As for this year’s musical set list, the song styles ranged from modern musical theatre to current hit songs. Although this year’s song choices were great, they didn’t have the comedic musical pun effect that would be expected of a pantomime. In any case, the list seemed to be appreciated by the audience, which is all anyone could ask for.
Yvonne Arnaud theatre has delivered yet another classic performance, and this year’s theme is ‘perfect imperfection.’
Robin Hood runs at the Yvonne Arnaud until 5th January.
★★★★☆ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography provided by Yvonne Arnaud
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