The moment Liam Rattagher stepped onto the Oxford Playhouse stage with his inimitable mod cut and green parka, we knew we were in for a Christmas treat like no other.
Swaggering, menacing and hilarious, his Mancunian accent taunting his new friend Damian Allbran (the Mayor Of London), trouble was instantly afoot.
An absolute smash guaranteed to raise your festive spirits, this is the most fun you’ll have this Christmas
Yes writer and director Toby Hulse has surpassed himself this year with an action-packed Dick Whittington brought kicking and screaming into the 1990s where we partied, laughed, booed, guffawed and revelled in the antics taking place in Oxonford, accompanied by a stonking soundtrack of 90s classics, some herculean choreography, and a script that carried us along at a cracking pace. PANTO SPECIAL: ‘It’s even funnier than last year’ A 90s inspired Dick Whittington hits Oxford Playhouse this Christmas to take on the Rattagher rats
What did set this Dick Whittington apart however was Hulse’s ability to modernise without detracting from the story, sentiment and tradition of panto. Instead he elevates it, leaving no stone unturned in his determination to present the most polished, slick, seamless and silly version of Dick Whittington possible, dad jokes aplenty, the title allowing much bawdy humour.
“My dad’s a Dick, my Grandfather’s a Dick. In fact, all the men in my family are Dicks.”
The casting is genius, every single character raising the bar
So while Dick Whittington is actually a girl called Dot who runs a stall at Gloucester Green Market, the rats 90s pop icons and the dame Sarah Fitzwarren an actual woman (hallelujah) and a stand-up comedian to boot, a rollicking romp still plays out with great aplomb.
The casting is genius, every single character raising the bar; their timing impeccable, their vocals impressive, their dance moves dazzling, all ensuring that the story-line and hilarious set pieces are seamless.
And oh how we laughed, the tempo and noise levels increasing as Liam Rattagher’s dastardly deeds gathered momentum and the race was on to stop him turning London into a den of beige blandness.
oh how we laughed, the tempo and noise levels increasing as Liam Rattagher’s dastardly deeds gathered momentum
His plot to form an X-Factor style boy band of epically boring proportions must be stopped, and so Fairy Bowbells, Dot, Sarah, her daughter Alice and Albert Square set out to sabotage it, utilising epic classics from East 17 to Blur to do so. Britpoptastic!
Nostalgic to an extreme for those around in the 90s, there was also much for the little-ones to latch onto, the obligatory audience singalong cleverly manifested into the boy band audition.
it was a laugh a minute
So much was packed in, from Albert Square’s hilarious and continual malapropisms to the dame’s infatuation with the unfortunate Craig on the front row, to the staging – the Top Pop set actual gave me goosebumps – it was a laugh a minute.
The underlying message, which all good pantos need, was about individuality and being yourself, standing up for what you believe in and following your dreams – the robotic, bewitched Londoners depicted in beige trackies immersed in their phones.
A shout out must also go to the stellar Young Company whose acrobatics, vocals, dance-moves and perfect synchronicity really shone through.
A shout out must also go to the stellar Young Company whose acrobatics, vocals, dance-moves and perfect synchronicity really shone through
But it was the cast themselves who showed them exactly how it’s done. Daisy Ann Fletcher (Dick/Dot) was a complete natural, the returning Robin Hemmings as Liam Rattagher as audaciously brilliant as ever, Fairy Bowbells (Elliott Wooster) instantly loveable and Sarah Fitzwarren (Lucy Frederick) pulled it all together.
When the curtain finally came down, we wanted to experience Dick Whittington all over again. An absolute smash guaranteed to raise your festive spirits, this is the most fun you’ll have this Christmas. Don’t miss it!
Dick Whittington is at Oxford Playhouse until Jan 4. Book here https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/dick-whittington
