Pinocchio  

12th, 13th, 19th, 20th, 26th, 27th Jan 2024 

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Description

For 2024 the Lane End Players produced “Pinocchio” – a magical show, featuring a spectacular circus, undersea adventures with mermaids…. and of course, a very famous puppet!

Cast:
Pinocchio - Lisa Harnett
Jimmy Cricket - Lauren Cubitt
Turquoise the Fairy - Waheeda Jafferali
Mamma Mia - Tom Everitt
Gepetto - Peter Stokes
Lampwick - David Harnett
Penny Pasta - Jody Cook
Foxy - Nigel Bacon
KitKat - Pip Richards
Al Dente -Ritchard Tysoe & Dave Bowden
Blobbedy Bloop - Rhiannon Langan
Aquamarine the Mermaid - Becky Valentine

Director & Author

Ceri Nicolson 

Pinocchio photo gallery...

NODA Review: Pinocchio

 National Operatic & Dramatic Association                               London Region
​
Society                 :Lane End Players
Production          : Pinocchio
Date                      : 20 January 2024
Venue   :              : Lane End Village Hall
Report by             : Judith Watsham

Thank you for inviting me along to this year’s pantomime and for Ceri’s warm welcome and hospitality.
 
I have said it before, and doubtless will do so again, that you are so fortunate in having such a multi-talented membership, including more than one of you who can write and/or compile shows – on this occasion it was Ceri Nicolson who both wrote and directed this year’s brilliant production.  The advantages of DIY authorship are many of course – from the fact that there are no royalties to pay to knowledge of what is likely to work and what is not, due usually to venue, sound and lighting limitations.
 
As I told Ceri, this is one that should be seen by a wider audience, so do contact NODA Pantomimes and see if they are interested in helping you to take the script further so that you can maintain copyright.  It was a great treat to see a well-known fairy story skillfully turned into a panto which did not originate from one of the usual Grimm or Andersen tales.
 
I did wonder how the lack of your usual live band of musicians would pan out – Ceri told me they had rehearsed with the cast throughout and recorded the music.  Well, I need not have worried – it all worked so well and I, for one, would never have realized they were not tucked away somewhere playing live if I hadn’t been told.  One reason for this, of course, is down to Peter Humfryes, your sound guy.  On top of this there was your usual excellent Overture which incorporated many numbers from the show.  Which of your three listed MDs composed it?  Can I take a guess at Dave Bowden?  Apologies if I am wrong, Catherine Everitt and Mike Watson! 
 
Whilst considering the music I felt the choice of songs was absolutely spot on.  A very good mix of tuneful music, nearly all of which was familiar to the audience both old and young.
 
Ceri’s direction was sure as it always is, as was her attention to detail and as co-producer with Kath Gill I am sure she had a hand in all the wonderful costumes, props and effects.  A nice selection of musical numbers too, just one quibble here Ritchard Tysoe and Diane Wiles, I really would like to see the musical numbers and scenes listed in your programme, preferably in the middle as this is the easiest for the audience to find!  Could your ‘Behind the Scenes’ double page spread be condensed to one page?  I think it could, which would free up the space.  I assume this was given the centre spread position to emphasise the importance of all members of the support team which was discussed elsewhere in the programme?  This tribute made a good read and as one of this tireless band myself I was pleased that the audience had the opportunity to appreciate some of the hard work which goes into a successful production. 
 
Regarding the programme, I noticed that Ceri, along with Kath Gill and Nigel Bacon, contributed to the choreography.  This was all good, but the opening number Puppet on a String was notably excellent with all the chorus moving (consistently) as if they were on strings.  This made for a very strong, and captivating, start! 
 
The set designed by Colin Fox was excellent.  I loved the giant storybook with its pleated curtains giving the effect of pages – very clever!    Some lovely backdrops too, especially the Italian Village, and the interior of the whale was superb.  Your designs contributed to the speed of the changes which enabled SM Tom Sims and his team to effect these slickly and (almost) silently!  Your teams of builders and painters alongside Colin and Libby Beck, your creative Director, worked wonders too.
 
Colin also designed some specialist properties – did this include Pinocchio’s extending nose I wonder?  Another clever touch.  Props in general, Jenny Annett, were all excellent and all totally appropriate.  The boat and rough sea effect especially worked very well.
 
I have already mentioned the sound in relation to the music and the balance with the vocalists was just right.  Other SFX worked well too as did all of Darren Crisp’s lighting – again the storm was notably good.  Storms on stage, usually in panto, don’t always work the way they should – believe me on this one! – but in Lane End’s case the effects were just right.  The ‘haze’ drifting through the audience to engulf the boat instead of issuing forth from the wings was different and worked very well. Something I had not seen done before.
 
What can I say about the costumes?  Just that they were all stunning.  Your Wardrobe Department – Tish Marshall, Gill Fox, Georgie Brooks, Sophie Koziol and Lannie Staff – achieved some absolutely amazing outfits.  A complete circus troupe for just one scene for example.  All of you made a terrific contribution to the visual success of the show.  Little touches elevated the general effect – wide rainbow stripes on chorus skirts echoed by narrow rainbow stripes on the back of the men’s waistcoats for example.  I do have another quibble though regarding your wardrobe.  Usually, the Dame character has more than one complete (not to mention outrageous) outfit – just wrapping another skirt round or changing the hat doesn’t count in my book!  Could ‘she’ have had different outfits or at least a total change for Act II?
 
Nearly all pantos kick off with a good chorus opening number, but yours was a tad different in that the action commenced in front of the tabs when we met Jimmy Cricket, a nicely judged performance from Lauren Cubitt wearing a great costume and excellent make up (well done Sophie Koziol and Pip Dadd – both credited for all hair and makeup).  Jimmy then guided the audience through the story, always in character and attentive to the unfolding story.
 
I have already said how well the whole cast performed the opening number, but the ensemble all performed consistently well throughout.  Loved their Kids Kamp Gang routine and the three Strictly Judges were brilliant.  The finale, Reach for the Stars was a superb way to end the show too as it had the entire audience singing along.
 
In the title role, Lisa Harnett performed very well as Pinocchio.  I was particularly impressed, Lisa, by your absolute immobility when the audience first saw you as an inert puppet!  You managed your very tricky (and constantly growing) nose well too.  All the mannerisms of a little boy, skipping enthusiastically around, constantly either in high spirits or depressed and miserable.
 
Don’t know what to say about Tom Everitt’s Mamma Mia, apart from thanks for the two nice NODA plugs (I did ask Ceri to give you a kick from me for coming out of character and asking for another panto award this year).  But, as you included a NODA info page in the programme, I would hope that your audience on Saturday afternoon was not too bemused by the reference.  Tom, you do make a very good pantomime Dame, just as well I have seen you in other plays and know that you are in no danger of being typecast in the role!  Good interaction with the audience too.
 
Pete Stokes, coming away from his usual position in the band to perform as Gepetto, developed a lovely twinkle and looked just right.  Always totally in character too with excellent reactions at all times.
 
David Harnett as Lampwick - the traditional ‘silly boy’ role, worked hard at his bashful character.  Good interaction with the audience over the engagement ring too!  Traditionally in panto this character does not get the girl of course – think Cinderella and Buttons for example!
 
What is a panto without its principal girl?  Jody Cook you have a lovely expressive face and your wide eyed eyelash fluttering at Lampwick left the audience in no doubt as to where Penny Pasta’s heart lay!
 
Panto has to have its villains of course and you had three.  Two lovely comedic performances from Nigel Bacon as Foxy and Pip Richards as Kit Kat worked very well.  Pip’s sneaky purring and hissing complemented Nigel’s down at heel strutting fox – excellent performances all the time with some well thought out moves in the characters of both animals.
 
The third villain was Ritchard Tysoe’s sneering and scowling Al Dente.  The three of you interacted well in your scenes together, especially in the number I’ll be Watching You.  Ritchard’s performance was beautifully supported by Nigel and Pip whose excellent actions and reactions with superb facial expressions made this a high spot for me! -
 
Complementing the villain is the Good Fairy Turquoise, Waheeda Jafferali, nicely sung and acted Waheeda from start to finish.  Great mischievous twinkle in your eye when you dropped remarks to the effect that you were off to party on Pluto or wherever else in the firmament the rave up was occurring!  Fast costume changes too at times as you doubled as a singing mermaid and a clown!
 
Last, but definitely not least, a couple of the ensemble stepped out into a couple of smaller roles.  Blobbledy Bloop –deliberately incomprehensible some of the time, Rhiannon Langan – and Becky Valentine as Aquamarine – who knew mermaids were like that!
 
This was a real ‘feel good’ panto with all the traditions faithfully retained – awful jokes, audience involvement, cross dressing Dame, comedy villains, good fairy, a scowling ’baddie’, community song, sweets handed out to children in the audience, etc etc,  this ticked all the boxes.  Very well done to you all.
 
Thank you again for an entertaining show and I am looking forward to your next production.  I am afraid I am old enough to remember seeing Boeing Boeing in London in the late 1960s where it ran for, I think, about 7 years!
 
 
Judith Watsham
District 11 and 11A Rep NODA London