Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Dream team brings magic to Marlowe
It had some big, glitzy shoes to fill, did Dick Whittington.
The panto at the Marlowe Theatre has taken on something resembling legendary status, with last year’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs proving a recordbreaker (99% of tickets were sold to almost 96,000 people).
So theatre bosses called on their dream team: director Paul Hendy of Evolution Productions, TV presenter Stephen Mulhern, regular dame Ben Roddy and Kent actor Lloyd Hollett.
All four have on-stage and off-stage chemistry, having worked together many times and become friends. And it showed.
Mulhern, presenting The Next Great Magician on ITV, was able to indulge some of his magical talents as Billy. His show-stopper was a piece of magic which left the audience baffled and amazed, while his stage presence had us all cheering along.
Roddy played the dame, Dolly the Cook, in his usual loud, hilarious style, and threw in plenty of banter with castmates, including Hollett as Captain Crabstick. This year, there was a rocking boat scene between the two which, let’s say, proved messy – it’s been a while since I’ve laughed so hard. Dolly’s own show-stopper included an eye-popping bikini.
The cast were all on top form, notably Lisa Davina Phillip as Fairy Bow-bells, Ben Carruthers as Dick, and Jemma Carlisle as Alice Fitzwarren, with Britain’s Got Talent trampolining star Vladimir Georgievsky as Alderman Fitzwarren. His trampolining performance brought gasps and “oohs” and “aahs” from the audience, as well as plenty of laughs.
With top notch music, effects and a 3D scene, tradition also dictated the classic Sheppey gag, although there were plenty of local references to places including Chatham and the “you don’t get that in the Dartford panto” line. What was missing was the usual “He’s behind you” gags – a welcome relief. There was so much audience participation already, they simply weren’t needed.
Dick Whittington runs at the Marlowe until Sunday, January 8.
For tickets from £12, call 01227 787787 or visit marlowetheatre. com. by Angela Cole