A different type of panto can be seen in the West End this year as Charles Court Opera stop off with their gloriously silly “boutique” show of Greek frolics.
Who:
John Savournin writes and directs; David Eaton is MD and composer/arranger.
Where and when:
Jermyn Street Theatre until 31 Dec – tickets at: https://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/show/odyssey-a-heroic-pantomime/
Cast:
Amy J Payne, Emily Cairns, Meriel Cunningham, Rosie Strobel, Tamoy Phipps, and Emily Apps (who played Hermes at this performance).
Basic plot:
Odysseus has been missing for ten years. His devoted wife Penelope and “little Trojan horse” have been searching, while up on Mount Olympus, the gods think it might be time to intervene.
Characters and performances:
Many names you might recognise from your Greek mythology come and go as quickly as the jokes (which are inspired, and sometimes pretty niche, but if you appreciate pi(e) and know your swine, you’ll be fine).
Cunningham’s Trojan steals the show, with Strobel working hard as Circe and others, Payne’s Polly and Poseidon providing much amusement, while Cairns’s Penelope has a knockout number in act 2 that brings home the bacon.
Apps stepped in as Hermes and was excellent, engaging with the audience and dealing with the inevitable ‘poor delivery’ jokes; while Phipps had her moment as Cerberus to perhaps the most fitting tune of the afternoon.
Audience interaction:
Boos, a pick-up chant for Hermes, a good time cheer, and even a plot pause for – a 1980s game show? – kept matters going. Less successful was getting people to clap along, but some of us took up the challenge.
Atmosphere:
This is a tiny space which seats around 75, but the mood was light and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, including several children (although a reference to ‘Michael Fish whipping up a storm’ may need to be explained).
Jokes flitted between the Grecian (“He’s in the Styx”) and the plain daft, with the lyrics following suit. Having an all-female cast toned down the testosterone-heavy feel of battles and quests.
Music:
Some great choices fitted new lyrics perfectly, including two massive 70s disco songs and a classic that continued the pi(e) theme.
With this being an opera company letting their hair down, the singing was top notch throughout with lots of thought going into how the songs fit with plot and myth.
Technical:
The set design was excellent for a small space, very colourful with openings and prop surprises. Lighting and sound were fine and the musical accompaniment by Eaton and ‘Dave the drummer’ was good without being overpowering.
Cuteness factor:
There are piggies and doggies, and I guess a little farting horse heads on the grosser side of cute?
Regional/contemporary relevance:
Little relating to London, and it felt contemporary for the over-40s with its references to the 1980s. But there were plenty of tablet quips which fitted both ancient and modern, while Aphrodite (also Cairns) would be right at home in Love Island.
Final verdict:
4*
I enjoyed this one a lot and had fun spotting the references from the original Odyssey, as well as appreciating the fast-pace of Savournin’s writing.
This company has done much to ‘urn’ its praise this year, and unsurprisingly, has more or less sold out the remaining run.
Odyssey a Heroic Pantomime continues at Jermyn Street Theatre.
Image credit: Alex Brenner