Mark Chatterton and Sarah Nixon, writers
of the infamous annual Rock-n-Roll panto at the Liverpool Everyman, have adapted to the COVID pandemic by writing this new theatre show. The production is a specially scaled-down
version of a full musical the husband-and-wife team had been working on with
composer and musician Ben Beer when the pandemic struck. Because theatres were not currently allowed to
open, it is being staged outdoors at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, in the heart
of Liverpool.
Luckily for the audience, it had
been a surprisingly warm, sunny day, after a few previous days of torrential
rain and gusty winds. But, at the start
of the performance the sky was still blue and the late evening sun was edging
its way into the makeshift amphitheatre, through the blown-out windows and
blown-off roof of the church. Chairs had been placed in order with current socially distancing measures and there was an element of expectation in the audience
who were mostly wearing thick, padded jackets, woollen hats, gloves, and boots.
Some, who had had the foresight to bring along thick woollen blankets, threw them
over themselves, from neck to feet, as the evening progressed.
The staging was minimal, in fact
bare, unembellished except for some coloured bunting hanging from the white
backdrops, and there was a canopy covering the stage in case of inclement
weather, to protect the actors. The show featured five actors playing an
assortment of different roles, including Everyman theatre’s panto regulars, Adam
Keast, Steph Hockley and Danny Burns.
The show is hailed as a joyful, new,
swashbuckling stage spectacular. It is a
twist on the historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author,
Alexandre Dumas of ‘The Three Musketeers’; a tale written in the swashbuckler
genre, which features heroic, chivalrous swordsmen, best friends who fight for
justice. The twist here is that there are actually four Musketeers, not three;
the fourth, D’Artagnan, becoming a Musketeer three-quarters of the way into the
novel.
The twist in this production is
that D’Artagnan was called D’ArtOnion and the Musketeer’s catchphrase is “All
for one and three for two” instead of the original “All for one and one for
all” everyone recognises from the Dumas novel.
The script relied heavily on
innuendo and risqué one-liners of the sort brought to prominence in the ‘Carry
On’ British comedy media film franchise. Some of the actors’ characters were dependant on a degree of ‘campness’
and delivery of ‘suggestive’ jokes and quick-fire gags.
An array of over-the-top wigs and
period costumes were utilised to aid the multi-assortment of roles undertaken by
the actors who were the linchpins in this creation and the cornerstones to its
success. There were no elaborate sets
incorporated, nor any special effects which are usually featured in the
Everyman’s pantomimes. It was heavily
reliant on the script and the actors’ performances.
The actors played their parts
well, their enthusiasm and delivery are to be commended but the humour in the
script was not as well-received as I had imagined it would be. I detected some chuckles from the audience
but not the huge guffaws and raucous, tear-jerking laughter I have experienced
when attending the Everyman's well-received Rock-n-Roll pantos.
The show is publicised as a
‘Rocked Up Comedy Musical’ but I didn’t identify delivery of any rock music;
most of it consisted of ballads; there was certainly nothing which got my toes
tapping. The Everyman’s pantomimes climax in the audience being on their feet,
singing and bopping away to the music, but unfortunately, this wasn’t the case
last night.
As a venue, St Luke’s Bombed Out
Church, is stunning. It has a natural
proscenium arch and it creates its own theatrical space but for me the
atmosphere of the auditorium in a theatre was missing and additionally the
seating being socially-distanced, and the cold weather didn’t help. I didn’t feel the anticipation of the
audience one feels in the theatre when a production, which the paying audience
has been looking forward to seeing, is about to start,; nor did I feel the
camaraderie one feels at the end of a show when the combined enjoyment can be
felt and is shared by the people who have been watching.
Sadly the Arts sector has taken
one of the greatest hits due to the Covid pandemic, and with little funding available
writers Sarah Nixon and Mark Chatterton have turned to
their industry contacts for support. They
have been overwhelmed by the help and support they have received from other
people in the industry, including the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse theatres
helping with funding.
TV show actors from ‘Coronation
Street,’ ‘Emmerdale’, 'Last Tango in
Halifax’ and ‘Casualty’ such as Wendi Peters, Siobhan Finneran, Tony Gardner,
Sally Ann Mathews and Jane Hazelgrove have donated to get the show off of the
ground.
Additionally, ‘Acting 4 Others’
is endorsing ‘The Show Must Go On!’ across social media and in return, their
merchandise is being sold at the Bombed Out Church and will be throughout the
duration of the show’s performances.
The team has also launched a ‘Go
Fund Me’ appeal to raise £25,000 to help put on the show. Donations will go towards covering the wages
of the actors, creative and technical teams, and paying for venue hire,
licensing of music and rehearsal costs.
The production team also includes
Lucy Thatcher as choreographer and Ben Beer as musical director.
The show is on until 30th
May 2021.
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