Dick Whittington and His Cat

Synopsis

Pantomime about a boy and his cat who set off to London to make their fortune - usually with Dick's Brother (Idle Jack) and mother - there they usually meet Baron Fitzwarren and sail away to seek treasure. In some versions King Rat goes with them to steal the treasure, in others they reach a land infested with rats where they haven't heard of cats and Dick does a deal, returning home rich he becomes Lord Mayor of London. Based extremely loosely on a real person (Richard Whittington, 1350 to 1423), there is a statue of the cat outside the Whittington Hospital in North London where Dick is supposed to have heard the bells say "Turn again Whittington, Lord Mayor of London" as he trudged away from the city. First recorded panto on this theme was in 1814.

Latest User Review

Timothy Witnet - 11 January 2008:

I HAVE COPIED THIS FROM THE RNT'S MUCH ADO REVIEWS BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE WRING PLACE !!! - GARETH JAMES I don’t normally take time to review pantomimes, but I had to share my excitement over the wonderfully produced and executed panto, Dick Whittington at the January 5th Hackney Empire theatre (matinee). To put it bluntly, I thought I’d seen it all in the way of panto, as a school teacher who makes annual pilgrimages to pantos with his students, I had no appetite to see yet another one. So I went, (more like was dragged) half kicking, half screaming, by my wife who frankly, wouldn’t shut up about Sophia Ragavelas. My argument for not going was simply this; if Sophia was really that special, she couldn’t possibly shine in a panto as my wife alleges she did starring as Sophie in Mamma Mia. After all, how much can one shine amidst a bunch of slapstick with the occasional song and dance routine thrown in between custard pie gags? Firstly, no matter how predictable or formulaic the genre, this production was a refreshing reminder that well-timed jokes, well-sung songs and well-danced dances are still a delight. Sophia Ragavelas is the consummate performer who sings and dances as if she were imported from some fairyland of perfectly polished panto performers (pardon the alliteration). Even though this panto was the furthest thing from provincial community theatre, it might as well have been when contrasted with Sophia’s unique presence. My comments are not meant in any way to belittle the other cast members, but rather reflect my diminished capacity as a writer after still suffering from the stunned state Sophia’s performance left me in. Anyone attuned to the finer points of theatre, or for that matter, anyone with working eyes and ears, must admit that the performance of Sophia was ethereal. Her singing was effortless with a refined yet full, richly textured and surprisingly powerful voice. Her movements and acting the personification of refined grace, and her overall likeability is something, I doubt not even as good an actor as she, could fake. I am an inventor, and my next invention will be to invent an automatic boot programmed to kick me in the backside every time my wife reminds me of my missed opportunity to se Sophia as Sophie in Mamma Mia. My only consolation is that she is supposedly starring in a production of Never Forget at the Savoy theatre in May of 2008. I plan to be one of the first to attend, and my wife will not need to drag me this time. It is said that in art, there is no small thing. Sophia left no stone unturned/unexplored as she poured every ounce of her abundant talent into her role, elevating the genre of panto to an art form I didn’t think possible, until now. I’d love to write more, but I have to go to my workshop now, and get to work on my automatic kicker. Sincerely, Timothy Winey - Timothy Winey 06 J ...

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