Review- Christmas Dinner
Date Reviewed: 5th December, 2008
Venue: Greenroom
What happens when the traditional Panto rule book is ripped up and thrown out the window?” asks the Greenroom publicity for their festive offering, Christmas Dinner. If this show is the result then maybe they should have kept some of those rules.
Although the production does involve some clever plot twists and tweaks, somehow the execution often leaves you with the feeling that somehting is lacking from the piece.
Prettily staged in the first half, with a white cloth covered in rock salt and lighted Christmas trees dotted around the space, unfortunately the plot never really gets going until the end of act 1. But also, by attempting to parody the pantomime the show simply fails to send up much at all. After all, pantos are hardly serious texts, to begin with. The cast seem so busy sending up the codes and conventions, that they do not really offer an alternative that is as equally entertaining.
Jenny Lawson as Fairy Mary has good comic timing, and a nice presence on the stage. Her reliance upon the hip flask is fun, but sometimes it seems to be used as simply a filler for a few extra moments, when nothing else is happening.
The strongest character is Nigel, played by Robin Sidwell. As the comedy sidekick, it is the role that is perhaps less predictable than most, and Sidwell tackles the freedom with skill that makes his character very likeable. Unfortunately his habit of holding his finger to his ear when singing becomes irritating rather than endearing.
Sam Carpenter obviously has great fun with his role as baddie Baron Balbus. He controls the audience participation well, turning boos and hisses to sympathetic “Aaahs”.
Nicki Hobday as Principal Boy Nelson works hard but comes over as too righteous, especially in the moral section on violence and war which while entertaining initially, is simply too long.
The weakest character by far was Swen Steinhauser as the Dame. Even in a parody of pantomime the dame needs to be a strong and flamboyant character with great timing. Steinhauser has neither, unfortunately. Even when attempting physical comedy, he renders the character restrained and weak.
Writer, director and Father Christmas, Oliver Bray must be commended for taking a tried and tested format and trying to do something different with it. Parts of the plot were excellent; other sections worked less well. Similarly some of the songs were well used and innovatively rewritten while others just didn’t have the coherence required. Unfortunately even the good sections weren’t enough to get past the failures in the execution of the story.
Overall, if you’re fed up of pantomime then go and see it, but don’t expect to come out with that feel-good sensation that many other festive shows will provide.
-Helen Jones