The Theatre Chipping Norton always put on the best panto in Oxfordshire and this year’s 50th Chippy pantomime was my fifth and favourite.
All photo credits: Josh Tomalin
The timeless take of Dick Whittington takes you on a hilarious adventure from the streets of Victorian London to the tropical island of Petiti and back.
A crucial element for any great panto is the villian and Ada Campe who plays Queen Rat was absolutely amazing. She captured the audience’s attention right from the start and we all loved booing and hissing. She has one of those personalities that just shines through and while the whole cast really were fabulous, she kind of stole the show for me. Special mention must be given for her rat assistants, The four Pippins are played by local children and they were so adorable.
Gregor Duncan plays a suitably charming and loveable hero as Dick and you can imagine with a name like that how many innuendos there were! The panto was laden with cheesy jokes that you just couldn’t help laugh at and double entendres to make you blush but go right over the heads of the kids.
There was an obvious chemistry amongst the cast and it really pulled the audience in. Without speaking, Dick’s feline sidekick Whittington, played by Nadia Shash, exudes personality with great moves and facial expressions.
Andrew Pepper absolutely delights as as the sassy pantomime dame, Sal M’Nella, strutting the stage, teasing unsuspecting gentlemen and winning our hearts.
A classic panto always has a love story and what I loved about this one is that Alice, played by Megan-Hollie Robertson has girl power spirit, determined to be an explorer like her father rather than staying at home to clean the house.
Evie James plays both Fairy Fee and also the Contessa on the island of Petiti. She’s a wonderful fairy and the most hilarious Contessa. If you’ve ever watched Blackadder II’s character Queenie, she reminded me a lot of her. Brilliant little tantrums and all puffed up in the largest pink dress.
Gareth Cooper who played The King in Chipping Norton’s panto last year, returns this year as Alice’s father. Hard of hearing, there’s some great scenes with him and Dick misunderstanding each other and he fits the posh English explorer role perfectly.
One of many reasons Chippy Theatre’s panto excels is the combination of all the elements. The stage set is imaginative, the props are great (just wait until you see Dick when he’s imprisoned by a gorilla) the lighting perfectly aligned to the story and sound effects timed just right. The characters are brought to life with detailed costumes, wigs and make up and all set to a hilarious script with original songs and choreography.
If you’re looking for a traditional pantomime where you can boo at the villains, laugh at the dame and cheer on the the heroes then the Chippy panto will deliver it all and more.
