The Liverpool Everyman Rock ’n’ Roll Panto is such an essential part of Christmas that, for most, it probably needs no introduction. For everyone else – stop reading this review, and book your tickets before they sell out.
With Christmas shows at the Ev having a 60-year history – most of it brilliant, much of it anarchic, all of it fun – there’s a lot to live up to. Rapunzel does just that.
20-year-plus veteran Adam Keast is so vivacious as Fairy Fixer-Upper that – despite being a fixture – he’s never simply going to be part of the furniture. As new best friends, Ai Kumar (as Rapunzel) and Rebecca Levy (Laurie) make a pair you’d need a heart of stone not to root for; whilst the slightly wonky working relationship between hair salon owner Debbie Updo (Michael Starke) and side-kick Goop (Emma Bispham) has just the right balance of sugar and spice.
Huge credit must also go to Tomi Ogbaro as Trevor, and Ben Boskovic as Prince Timotei, each of whom might’ve stolen the limelight completely in a weaker ensemble. (And yes, I was tempted to write ‘might’ve stollen the limelight completely’; though perhaps that illustrates why I’m writing reviews and not pantomimes).
The storyline is slight – the hair salon run by Debbie Updo is under threat from villainous rival hairdresser Danny Ruff (Alice Merivale), who is keeping Rapunzel prisoner so as to utilise the magic powers of her hair in his quest for – well, if not world domination, at least a stranglehold on the Merseyside hairdressing industry. No matter; that premise provides an ample springboard for more than enough suitably silly festive shenanigans, japes and jokes to fill this theatrical Christmas stocking to the brim and beyond.
The Ev panto seems to go through cycles, with different aspects of the production coming to the fore. Whilst the glorious costumes and stage design (here the wonderful work of Janet Bird) seem to be an ever-present, sometimes the writing itself appears to be the real driving force; in other iterations, the music takes centre stage. Here – though both of those elements make a huge contribution – it is the acting that provides much of the energy, and much of the magic.
My wife, daughter and I did discuss who we thought was the star of the show; not an easy choice, with such strength-in-depth. It’s difficult to argue with their respective nominations for Ben Boskovic and Adam Keast, whilst I plumped for Tomi Ogbaro. I’d love to see the show again in a few weeks, though, as I have a feeling Michael Starke may by then have surpassed them all.
A special mention also for understudy Alice Merivale, who, as I understand it, stepped into the roll of villain Dan Ruff at short notice. I imagine finding the balance between ensuring you don’t throw other cast members by being too different, and making the role your own, is a bit of a tightrope; she walked it admirably.
Photo Credit: Marc Brenner
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