There is always a warm welcome at an Encore production and right away you are made to feel part of the evening, with smiles and greetings galore. Established in 1944, Encore is a well-known Theatre company in the local Wakefield/Castleford area and boasts The Lord St Oswald (6th Baron St Oswald) of Nostell Priory as its Honorary Patron. What made this production special to me was the Inclusivity on the stage as well as off. It really was a diverse (in every sense of the word) community performance and just how panto should be – a collective experience for the cast and the audience – as one doesn’t exist without the other!
Sleeping Beauty is very well written by Sue and Andrew Sheppard and directed by Sue, the detailed and clear storyline follows the well-known tale of Sleeping Beauty and the evil villain Malificent, who is highly offended at her lack of invite to the Royal baby Beauty’s christening and subsequently casts a spell; that is very fortunately downgraded by the collective power off the good Fairies and of course the power of ‘Love’ itself; putting the Princess into a deep sleep along with the courtiers of Utopia. Enter Prince Kit with his travelling companions Kasta and his apprentice Falcon, to awaken the sleeping Princess Beauty with true love’s kiss. But first the hero must pit themselves against the evil Malificent, her apprentice Nightshade and Darth Vader and some small, Storm Troopers (well it is a pantomime!) With a little help and plenty of hindrance from the Dame, Penny Farthing and her two hapless sons Pic and Mix, the hero prevails. This impressively written pantomime is both traditional and pacy – there isn’t a moment that is without interest. Good family entertainment without the excessive use of double entendre – just enough of everything for everybody!
With the traditional pantomime back cloths and minimal set, the cast did a fine job of filling the stage and transporting the audience between locations. Sound and Lighting by CS Technical and operation by Nicole Walton added all the extra atmospherics and made sure we cheered, hissed and booed in all the right places. The small band of four musicians sounded well under the Musical Direction of Ed Royston and with Choreography by Amanda Walker and Bev Maher they collectively made sure the mood and tone were apparent. It was wonderful to see a pantomime with so many children on stage, as it is the perfect vehicle to encourage and instil a love of performance at a young age. The children did a wonderful job, and I spotted a few up and coming performers in the making! Backed up by the ensemble, the casting was well chosen, and all the principals were well suited to their roles.
The role of Princess Beauty was played well and thoroughly believably by Wendy Whipp – she showed a tenderness and had some lovely vocals. None more evident than her duet with Prince Kit (Becky Thompson), who gave an exceptional performance as a very strong and commanding Prince – a role that can often be undistinguished – but not in this show.
Audience participation is paramount to Panto and the Encore cast made sure it was front and centre of the production. None more so than Pic (Matt Gibb) and Mix (Michael Tattersall); who were rightly so, show stealers and very amusing. Jordan Whipp played a very accomplished Dame. He definitely was a BLOKE in a frock… traditional and hilarious facial expressions and his humour was always family orientated and never overdone. I really liked him in this role, and he could give a few tips to some of the professional panto Dames I have seen this season! – A talented performer from the Sheriff of Nottingham, last year to Penny Farthing, this year – both absolutely on the money!)
And now to the Evil duo of Amy-Lewise Spurgeon-Hill’s Malificent and apprentice Leah Clarke’s Nightshade. Spurgeon-Hill oozes stage presence and commands every scene, making the role perfect for her and the young Leah Clarke seems to already be picking up some of that stage ‘witch’ craft, with lots of physical detail in her performance. Both these ladies have strong singing voices and ‘Should I stay or should I go now’ was the perfect number for these two collectively. With more entrances than I’ve ever seen before, I was never left thinking ‘Oh, here we go again’ – surely the sign of both beguiling and aesthetic performers.
I must mention last year’s Will Scarlett (Tom Bucktrout) who seems to have spent his summer holidays in Barnsley and chucked out the pink tights of yester year in favour of a flat cap and no doubt, Ferret in his pocket! Bucktrout was outrageously funny again – but as King Alfred this year! What will he be next year…I wonder…
So, from the ‘It’s behind you!’ and the audience sing-alongs with words in the programme and the ’I want a Chippy Tea’, which my husband sung all the way home to me! – Thank you very much for that delight! To the messy Rock, Paper, Scissors, Encore’s panto has it all, for all ages, from very silly Dad jokes to the occasional double entendre and a real feel good factor! The moral of all pantomime – the good wins over evil and this production won over the audience with its community feel, it’s excellent cast – all glued together by an exceptional script.
Thank you for a wonderful evening’s immersive entertainment Encore!
Reviewer: Tracey Bell
Reviewed: 9th January 2025
North West End UK Rating: