PANTOMIME REVIEW: Destiny - The Black-E, Liverpool.

“Destiny” is the first family production staged by City Theatre Rep Theatre Group, and is billed as a “Sci-Fi Family Panto.” The performance took place at the Black-E in Liverpool; and my three Assistant Reviewers, aged fourteen, twelve and seven came too.

It was a large, mixed cast of professional and community performers; and overall the performances were strong, with good dance technique, strong singing, and lively comedic acting. Costumes were fabulous: the time travel/futuristic theme meant silver mini-dresses, sequined leotards and techno headsets, while the more traditional fairy tale outfits were bright and cheerful too.

What writer/director Barry Levy was trying to achieve was a mash-up between a pop-music synth-laden sci fi musical, and a traditional pantomime of “Jack And The Beanstalk”. The mash-up itself didn’t really work. It was like two different productions were trying to occur at the same time, and the integration of such different genres didn’t really combine. There was also not enough of the show aimed at the younger children, as the sci fi part had a lot of technical descriptions and a very convoluted storyline, but the actual “Jack And The Beanstalk” parts went over well. The fourteen-year-old Assistant Reviewer loved the entire production, and this is more the age group that it suited.

Holly Murphy starred as Destiny, a scientist sent back in time from 2034 to inhabit the body of a girl in the 18th century who is part of the “Jack And The Beanstalk” story, and she held the stage with charm and charisma. Victoria Leopold was Fate, another scientist offering support as a hologram, and she was vibrantly engaging. Shaun Herr was the dashing hero Jack, and had a particularly appealing singing voice. Elisha Curry was Ella, Jack’s sister, and was a lively young heroine. Johnny Sedgwick-Davies was their cousin Dougal, who played the young man that is not very bright with good comic timing. Peter Sebastian absolutely rocked it as Jack’s mother Dame Velma, giving it the Dame Edna Everage interpretation, and combining good improvisation skills with a wicked sense of humour.

Anna Chan had the wicked queen role as Dr Reigns, an evil scientist from the future, and she relished every inch of villainy. Demi Leigh Wilson was a ditzy madcap as semi-bad young scientist Skye. Leo Hewitson was Skye’s rather gothic artificial creature Fleshcreep, and he also proved to have good improvisation skills and a very dry sense of humour whenever the eldest Assistant Reviewer gave him cheek. (Teenagers! – thank you, Fleshcreep.) John Ball and Louis Cashin-Harris were lost silent film directors Horace and Morris who had a big slapstick drunken scene that had the youngest Assistant Reviewer giggling. Jess Connor was a personified App that she played with absorbed focus. Leanne Cooney served as a narrator in the character of Time, presented as a classical goddess.

The chorus were Jess Connor, John Ball, Elisha Curry, Alexandra Rochford, Leanne Cooney, Eve Maher, Erin Ackerley, Abi Lunn and Eve Blackwood. They had a number of dance sequences, set to Erin Ackerley’s classy choreography.

Thank you for the free sweets!

Reviewer - Thalia Terpsichore
on - 4.12.21