The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto 2024: Rapunzel – Everyman Theatre

Especially at this time of year, you can’t beat a panto. The beauty of this kind of theatre is that you always know what you’re going to get: tongue-in-cheek jokes, slapstick humour, outlandish costumes… and of course, the token “man in drag”. There is an element of the formulaic about pantomimes – something familiar, something comforting, something inherently festive.

However, this particular show was different. Yes, it still had all the hallmarks one comes to expect from a panto – but in this case, it had something unique. Over the years, we’ve all seen hundreds of pantomimic retellings of classic stories like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, with only small deviations from the main story we all know and love. But Rock ’n’ Roll Rapunzel was a version of the fairytale as we have never seen before – it was modern, it was bold, it was funny… it was a brilliant and cleverly developed adaptation.

This hilarious jukebox musical was just about recognisable from its source material, but writer Jude Christian did a stellar job of turning this oft-retold story into a modern masterpiece, making the plot centre around the catty world of hairdressing to seamlessly link in with Rapunzel’s infamous locks.

Director Francesca Goodridge worked wonders with the script, bringing it to life onstage to a rapturous audience response. The comedic timing of every single cast member – as well as the abundance of physical humour – just enhanced the wonderfully funny script, and made for a night of laughter aplenty.

Oftentimes, especially in pantomimes, a cast can make or break a performance – in this case, this multi-talented cast enhanced the whole show. Each member of the ensemble was perfectly cast: from the hilariously funny Ben Boskovic as the flamboyant Prince Timotei and the delightfully camp Adam Keast as opulent Fairy Fixer-Upper, to the scene-stealing Michael Stark as the novelty drag act Debbie Updo. If I had to give one criticism of the cast, I would say the singing did in most cases leave something to be desired – but during every single musical number, the audience were too wrapped up in the on-stage theatrics or singing along themselves to care about vocal abilities.

At this point, it would be remiss not to give a special mention to Set and Costume Designer Janet Bird, who really did elevate the performance and bring a new dimension to the show. The set design – from a bed that descends from the ceiling to a hole in the floor to give the illusion of a tower – was magnificent, and the costumes would not look out of place in a professional performance.

All in all, this was a night of pure opulence.

Rock ’n’ Roll Rapunzel is enchanting audiences at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre from Saturday 16th November to Saturday 18th January 2025. https://www.everymanplayhouse.com/

Reviewer: Hannah Wilde

Reviewed: 21st November 2024

North West End UK Rating: