The Pied Piper of Hamelin
Twyford & Ruscombe Theatre Group
Loddon Hall
January 13-15
To watch the Twyford & Ruscombe Theatre Group perform The Pied Piper of Hamelin was an absolute joy.
Suitable for all ages, there was fun and laughter throughout with singing, dancing and plenty of audience participation. The show started with the cast singing Let Me Entertain You – and they certainly did that.
Looking around the hall, there was a sea of smiling faces.
The cast and crew should be applauded for a pantomime in the truest sense.
The first solo character on stage was the hilarious Frau Pumpernickel (played by Marc Reid) who was a constant throughout the panto. With plenty of puns, jokes and comedy, this performance kept the audience captivated.
With sudden bangs, puffs of smoke, coloured lighting, sound effects and not forgetting a custard pie, there was something for everyone. The enthusiasm of the whole cast can’t be faulted and their obvious enjoyment and passion really shone through.
Every panto has a “baddie” and this was in the form of Queen Rat, played menacingly by Beth Reynolds.
“Rotten to the core”, her costume and make-up portrayed a sinister villain whose aim was to conquer the sewers, Hamelin and the world.
The costumes and make-up were striking and helped to create the perfect ambience.
With plenty of musicality including the Beatles song She Loves You, the classic Singin’ in the Rain and Eric Idle’s Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, the vocals were harmonious.
Playing her part very well was Caroline Rose-Newport (Pied Piper), who spoke in rhyme throughout and had a commanding presence. The Mayor Meiserhoffer (played by Mike Higgins) promised the Pied Piper money if the rats would leave Hamelin.
This was achieved by the beautiful playing of a flute, seemingly achieved by the Piper, but actually cleverly played by talented flautist Jenny Preece in the wings.
However, the mayor reneged on his promise and the children of Hamelin were led to the mountains in revenge.
The second half of the panto saw a lot of movement with various cast members running across the stage and down the aisle to the Benny Hill theme tune. Lots of energy kept it fast-paced, but the action slowed somewhat as the Pied Piper returned to right the wrongs. Again, excellent music by the flautist.
Larger than life, Matty Muddle (played by Jac Rampton) recounted the entire panto very quickly (after misunderstanding a question asked by the mayor) to loud applause.
He should be awarded a medal for his energy alone.
Moo the Cow (played superbly by Joanne Davis) came on to the stage and was upset as she was lost. After teaching four young children (from the audience) to yodel, Moo hears the sound of home and is happy once more.
As with all pantomimes, there was a happy ending with a group of children singing from Musicscool Voices. They were later joined by the entire cast for the finale, which was uplifting.
As the Pied Piper said, “A promise must be kept”.
The cast promised to entertain us and this they did with aplomb.
Outside, it was raining, but inside it was warm and inviting. With a great cast, crew, bundles of humour and good, clean fun, everyone had an enjoyable time.
So, come along and support your local drama group; you won’t be disappointed.
JANE HAINSWORTH
