Panto is real navy lark
Careline Theatre served up the full Monty with rip-roaring pantomime Robinson Crusoe and a nautical adventure capable of shivering timbers with heroes overcoming scurvy dogs.
Daniel Defoe’s classic tale of a castaway on a desert island was obviously the inspiration for the panto, given some extra sparkle with the theatre group then playing fast and loose with the script to put its indelible Careline stamp on the show.
A touch of genius was introducing the ‘Half Full Monty’ – a hilarious musical routine based on the finale of the group’s memorable 2016 production of the gritty black comedy of The Full Monty.
From the off, the laughs come quick and fast. There’s a special drink served from Man Friday’s beach bar imported from a neighbouring island...it’s called ‘Robinson’s Bali Water’; while lovable rogues in a cannibal’s stew pot inspire a pair of youngsters to come on stage for a tribute to gravy seasoning and a ‘Mmmm Bisto’ moment.
And someone had obviously raided the Christmas cracker factory for some of the more obvious jokes (don’t you just love pantomime!) but there was plenty of giggles and laugh aloud moments too.
Robinson Crusoe the Panto weighs anchor when a message arrives in a bottle from the man himself, castaway on an island packed with pirate treasure but with nowhere to spend it.
Helped by a friendly mermaid, the good ship Briny and a motley crew set off to rescue him. With the help of a mermaid, the pirate and ‘owner’ of the buried booty Capt Blackbeard is beaten, and Robinson is returned home to marry his true love. Simples!
Being a Careline panto, the show is also a lucky bag packed with songs, dance, and an array of colourful costumes. It also means thinking big with musical numbers featuring the ladies chorus and the youngsters of the junior chorus.
Davy Jones
In line with tradition, the story also features good and the dark side. Giovanni Wallis as Miranda the Mermaid was in fine voice and as official narrator made the rhyming verse appear easy – the ‘baddie’ Blackbeard, Richard Herriott, stomped about threatening everyone with the curse of Davey Jones’ locker.
Sophie Phillips was a swashbuckling Robinson and Emily Wilkes his love interest Sally Shingles, the happy couple reunited for the grand finale. Maya Coadwell made a cheeky cabin boy Jim Hawkins, while making her debit with Careline was Laura Hoogewerf as Robinson’s pet monkey Pee Gee, who led the fast-footed jazz number ‘I Wanna Be Like You’.
No panto is complete without a dame and Stevie Keen was outstanding as Mrs Crusoe, Robinson’s endearing mum. It was his first taste of the key role and a real champagne supernova performance, aided and abetted by a wardrobe of superb costumes.
Andy Crabb also had the audience in stitches as Man Friday, the cannibal only interested in eating vegetarians. Friday speaks English of a sort; he has a tendency to mix up words – for example Blackbeard becomes ‘beard black’ and when paying a complement, ‘awfully pretty’ come out as ‘pretty awful’. It was constant source of fun and all delivered (somehow) with a straight face.
There were also two double acts to enjoy. The first was Robinson’s brother Billy (Candy Wright) and his squeeze Lottie Lobster (Dee Wilkes); together they are the lovable good guys ready to clown about.
And also enjoying clowning about at every opportunity were duo Flotsam and Jetsam – Mick Niall and Paul Young – supplying the Nelson Touch as the ship’s crew and stumbling blindly from one fix to another.
Real life husband and wife team Neil and Marian Carter were Captain and Mrs Cuttlefish; the skipper kept on the straight and narrow by his other half – who was definitely a ‘glass half empty’ type.
A mention in dispatches for Alan Gill as both the Bosun and Patch the Pirate and Ian Bennett as the cannibal – they play small but crucial parts in the story.