Written by: Jessica Gardner (@JessyGardner)
Rosemary Branch Theatre, London
****
The Three Musketeers pantomime at the Rosemary Branch is
certainly one for all, if you’re partial to any enjoyment in life then this small-scale
show will fill you with enough festive cheer to cause a Christmas dinner stomach
ache.
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| Photo: Bill Knight |
Written by John Savournin, who also plays the hilarious and
dreadfully naughty Mother Superior, this show provides originality whilst
encompassing popular songs such as Say a Little Prayer For You and Total Eclipse Of the Heart, which had the whole audience roaring with delight. Famous
Hymns were also tactfully rewritten for the show with great success. Savournin’s
talents extend further as he also directs the show. He has clearly achieved an
enormous feat, by not only constructing a fantastic show where he did not seem
to lack in any of the three areas he put his hand to, but also by selling out
the house.
Despite the venue being on the small side, the show felt as
if in a much larger theatre. This was partially down to the fantastic use of
set that, despite filling the stage, did not crowd it. The energy and
enthusiasm of the cast also helped to expand the modest space.
The cast proved witty, with excellent comic timing on top of
their sonorous voices that filled the room. Aside from a few slight line slip
ups and knocks into one another that could have been hidden better, the whole
cast were commendable, with particular note to Nichola Jolley whose
puss-in-boots-esque performance was the most engaging, funny, and dynamic, with
the best fake French accent of the lot.
The Three Musketeers ticks all the boxes of a classical pantomime, with the
cheeky double entendres, the ironic use of ‘boys and girls’ in an adult only
audience, and classic audience participation. However, whilst this may sound
like a regular pantomime, it certainly is not. It is catered far more to an
adult audience, meaning the Christmas tradition could be enjoyed on a higher
level than just very simple childish laughs. You are taken on a typical fairy
tale journey spiced up with modern references like ‘twitter’ and ‘gap years’
and led by the most northern, masculine and overly adorned Mother Superior
there has ever been. This show is the perfect addition to any Christmas
calendar and is perfectly complimented, if not heightened by a tipple, to get
you in the right frame of mind to boo, hiss and have food thrown at you.
This production runs until 9 January 2012
@rosemarybranch
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