Given the recent cold snap in the UK, there doesn’t come a more suitable time for this production of “Winter Draws On” from the NUH Pantomime Society, a theatre troupe mostly made up of NHS and NUH employees. Set in the magical world of Pantobergen, the residents face a prospect of a never-ending winter thanks to the reign of the evil Spirit of Winter, Hod (Angie Springhall).
The pantomime gets off to a lively start with Spring Fairy Idun (Teresa McDonnell) contextualising the story and leading the opening song I need a hero, in which various members of the fairly large and incredibly talented chorus try to show the good fairy that they are the true hero destined to put an end to Winter. The choreography (Emma Reid) is comedic, and coupled with McDonnell’s impressive vocals, this is a strong start that immediately draws the audience in.
Idun’s chosen hero is kitchen boy Leif (Debbie Croves), a down-to-earth likeable character who immediately attempts to shun the responsibility. Accompanied by Musen the mouse (Beth Eastham), the two of them set off to put an end to Hod’s evil plans. Croves and Eastham make for an interesting double act, and Croves does a stellar job as your traditional pantomime lead. When Leif is introduced to Princess Astrid (Richeldis Malkin), it is obvious that the two of them are destined to be together. Subverting usual panto tradition, Malkin’s princess is strong-willed and determined to get involved in the action. This is no “damsel-in-distress”-type situation!
Vying for Astrid’s attention are the three stooges, Sir Rhosis (Martin Orrell), Sir Cumference (Sunil Glen) and Sir Cuitous (Colin Mudd), who are incredibly funny throughout and were greeted by loud cheers from the audience whenever they appeared. Mudd in particular is a joy to watch, enjoying lively banter with the crowd, whilst Glen shows off his excellent singing skills (just how can he hold a note for that long?) and Orrell displays some wonderful physical comedy in an over-the-top fight scene.
Joining Leif and Musen on their adventures are Nurse Nitty Nora (Gareth Howell as the traditional panto dame, who also directed the show), Bigg the Mammoth (John Crookes) and Egg the Dragon (Evie Alliott). Howell is superb as the dame, and had the audience in hysterics throughout, whilst Crookes and Alliott are fun supporting characters that clearly did a great job of getting the audience on their side when leading a singing competition towards the end of the show (I’m Team Egg all the way!). Written by Barbara Eastham, the plot is a little bewildering at times (a scene involving some feisty sausages being held a gun-point sticks in the mind), but it is well-thought out and all the plot strands are brought together at the end – including a plot twist that I didn’t see coming!
As for the villains, Springhall as Hod elicits boos every time she enters the stage, whilst Hatty Hunt Blow as henchman Jack Frost shows off some great dancing skills, and is able to transform her character from evil villain to someone that the audience ends up cheering for at the end. Together they perform an impressive rendition of Ice Ice Baby, and Hunt Blow is joined by tap-dancing snowmen Frosty (Angie Gooding) and Chilly Billy (Andrea West) for a fun-filled dance number.
The show is accompanied by a band (led by Rowena Wood), which provide not just backing music for the songs, but also transitional music between scenes. The set (Steve Eastham) features some impressive hand-painted backdrops, bringing to life the dark forest, the Winter Palace and the Palace of King Ragnar (Helen Lester) and Queen Gudrun (Rhea Phillips). There is also some ingenious business with a hot air balloon – but to say any more would be to give too much of the game away.
The cast dealt with heckles from the audience particularly well (they faced a tough crowd thanks to a lively group of scouts!), and delivered a fantastic finale number with Walking on Sunshine. If I had to pick a minor fault, it would be that some of the cast struggled a little with projection, meaning that I missed some of the lines that were spoken – but this is only a very minor niggle in what is otherwise a fantastic evening of entertainment. On a personal note, after a difficult few days that have made me question whether I want to continue to review theatre, this show has made me remember why I do this – this is a joy from start to finish, and a production that I heartily recommend.
Tom Morley, January 2025
“Winter Draws On” plays at Squire Performing Arts Centre until 18th January.
Any surplus made from this production will be used to make donations in response to requests by NHS staff for small items that will make a real difference to the experience of patients during their time in hospital.
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