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You know it’s nearly Christmas when the rumbustious Everyman rock’n’roll panto blasts into town.
This year it’s Rapunzel Hairway to Heaven with a multi-talented cast of actors/singers/musicians. The plot is convoluted (oh yes it is) but absolute fun.
We have the ‘dynamic duo’ of Francis Tucker and Adam Keast reprising their roles as the dame and his spouse. In fact Tucker has played this role for the past 10 years. And it shows. He is a total star, in his absurd multi-coloured costumes with big bazookas! He has numerous costume changes each one more ludicrous than the last. Keast as his foil is a stalwart, with whimsical facial expressions that have the audience in titters.
Characters come down from the sky, up from the ground and enter in all sorts of wonderful contraptions against a fairytale set sprinkled with lights.
The story, if you can follow it, has a king whose new born daughter is born bald. Good Fairy Stardust, a wonderful Martina Isibor, comes to his aid by suggesting he leave her by a cabbage-like plant called the rapunzia which has magical properties to make her hair grow. And it works, as her hair keeps on growing, a constant theme through the panto. Of course she is found by the wicked witch Poisonella exquisitely played by a strong Arianne Benedict in a striking glittery red and black lacy dress, and vertiginous heels.
From then we have traditional pull of good v evil, sprinkled with slow-mo fights, voyages to other planets, flumps on space hoppers, hot air balloons and the requisite magic and sparkle one associates with an Everyman panto. Love, of course, triumphs in the end and Rapunzel, played by talented Lipa graduate Stephanie Hockley, finds her true love Archie Hood, the handsome Sam Haywood.
There are puns galore, soaking the audience, raucous pop tunes sung at high volume, and all out fun.
As every year, this Panto is unique in Liverpool, perhaps in the world. Catch it when you can!
Purple Revolver Rating: ***** Exhilarating!
Rapunzel Hairway to Heaven
Liverpool Everyman Theatre
Writers: Sarah A Nixon, Mark Chatterton
Director: Mark Chatteron
Set andCostume Design: Dinah England
Musical Director: Tayo Akinbode