Village: Corfe Castle
Reporting Judge: Chris Butcher
Judges Comments
In entering the village hall I was made to feel welcome and there was already a good feel to the atmosphere. The hall appeared full and the Pantomime started promptly at 7:30pm. The audience was very enthusiastic and the seating and stage layout was cleverly arranged. I was particularly impressed with the stage layout and the stage management throughout the performance as the hall did not lend itself to stage presentation.
The Characters were very well dressed throughout. The costume standard was high and the make-up cleverly applied. If anything the Dame may have been even better with a little more make-up. So often I notice that the Dames are overdone with their make-up but she may have benefited with a little more colour. Her voice was splendid for the role and her lines delivered clearly and well with good acting to the part of the character.
The stage was cleverly put together and the static scenery very well painted. The use of small props and scenery was good with good scene transitions, no noise from the stage crew when moving props etc. My only comment is that the back drops lacked imagination and could have been improved slightly. I was impressed by the Blue Coach for Robin Hood. Very well presented.
I was impressed by Marion’s voice. It carried well to the back of the hall and she delivered powerful, clear songs.
Agglestone was great. His presence as a Giant excellent. One could imagine him coming out of the mists of Wareham Heath to frighten the locals. His manner and deliverance ideally suited the character and again I was impressed by the utilisation of all the Hall for the chases etc. This was done without disruption and it conveyed the feel of a much larger stage. Agglestone’s voice boomed throughout the hall. Very well done.
The general cast was good. The acting was coherent and well co-ordinated. The village scenes were colourful and entertaining. I thought the only let-down was the uncoordinated NickNack routine. The chorus singing could do with a little more power. It was, I felt, a bit weak at times but it picked up later. With regard to the music in general, I thought that maybe more use could be made of the drums to enhance the rhythm and maybe help the music flow.
The dialogue was good with some very clever rhyming links. The comedy aspect was locally brilliant bringing in the parochial humour in a clever manner. Lighting was good, no bad shadows or unlit areas, again I was impressed by the use of the building for a stage production. The lighting and sound were both credits to the production.
Good audience interaction throughout the performance. Even as a total stranger I felt involved. Talking to some of the audience during the interval and at the end of the performance I received very favourable comments and the whole performance had a feel-good factor.
Their was no traditional magic or noticeable special effects in the production. Given the nature of the script it may have been possible to incorporate but I don’t think the lack of these items degraded the performance in any way. The script was excellent. I congratulate the author on the inception of the pantomime and the adaptation was stylish and very well produced.
The Animals were good. The Dog maybe needed a little more practice but that’ s maybe me just being critical. All the costumes were good.
The witch deserves a mention for her evil presence. She delivered well and conveyed to the audience an evil intent. Voice was good and costume well thought out.
I must say the character who stole the show in my eyes was Winnie the Pooh. Being a Disney fan (Daughter and Granddaughter enforced) I have seen Winnie the Pooh for many hours and I thought the performance here stole the show. Her mannerisms were an exact replica of the cartoon character, her movement and hands were brilliant. For me she was the acting star of the show.
I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. The standard was good and I felt it was a great evening out. Please pass my compliments to the entire cast and I look forward to nanny more of your excellent productions.
Chris Butcher
December 2001