There’s a new director in town and he’s raring to go with the new Chipping Norton panto Rapunzel which opens tomorrow.
David Ashley says he’s “too excited for his own good” as he and the full panto crew put the finishing touches to this year’s epic extravaganza which promises to pull out “all the stops” and to make 2021’s panto one to remember.
“It’s sanctioned lunacy and because it’s panto you can have more fun”
So what can we expect? “Well there’s a lot of hair,” he laughs, “a royal joust, giant marrows, inflatable radishes, stretching rhubarb, a giant flying strawberry, a ship, and of course a happy ever after, so all we need is for everyone to join in.
“It’s sanctioned lunacy and because it’s panto you can have more fun, more players, more props, more songs, more costumes, more jokes, and get away with it as long as you adhere to the panto code.
“But it’s also an important story and a journey that Rapunzel needs to go on, so the tower is both physical and metaphorical.”
“Chipping Norton is absolutely buzzing around panto time – the silliness of it all is so intoxicating”
So where did he start? “By having a long chat about what constitutes a great Chippy panto and went from there. We began with the story and then crammed in everything we could muster, so the script by Ben Crocker went through several drafts before we were happy with it.”
“The original Brothers Grimm story is a bit, well grim,” David chuckles, “so there was lots of reimagining and huge amounts of input, with all the sound and lighting, special effects, music, songs and so on. Our designer Pip Leckenby is extraordinarily good and has reached for the moon, so it’s been a really collaborative process.”
“with so many little folk coming to the theatre, possibly for the first time, it’s very important that they go on that journey with you”
David has been working on pantos since 1986, so Rapunzel is in good hands. Which begs the question what he loves so much about the traditional festive offering? “Panto is such a good way to tell a story, especially with so many little folk coming to the theatre, possibly for the first time, so it’s very important that they go on that journey with you and that you get the balance right.”
And as the Rapunzel crew prepare for showtime, David cannot wait for the curtain to go up on the first performance tomorrow: “It’s a joy and privilege to be involved so I am nervous and excited and just waiting for everyone to enjoy what we have created this year,” he says.
“Chipping Norton is absolutely buzzing around panto time, the silliness of it is so intoxicating and we make sure that carries on all the way through – silliness and emotion alongside a sense of discovery all tied up in a bow of lunacy.”
RAPUNZEL runs at The Theatre Chipping Norton from November 17 – January 9. Age Recommendation 4+. Book at https://www.chippingnortontheatre.com/whats-on/rapunzel
