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Treasure Island
Bristol Old Vic
LE NAVET BETE’S recycled pantomime of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic pirate tale is a welcome addition to family entertainment at the start of the long summer holidays.
Stuffed with Xmas cracker-style gags, double entendre for adults, an ugly sister-style dame and pop culture references, this starts out as typical pantomime fare but transmutes into something more akin to the National Theatre of Brent’s comically irreverent productions.
Al Dunn’s Long John Silver based on Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Simon Burbage disguised as the laughably ridiculous Captain Birdseye and Matt Freeman’s wonderfully camp sailor styled on John Paul Gautier’s scent advert mariner are Nick Bunt’s miscellaneous crew on the Jolly Todger as well as bouncing between the 20 other roles.
Convention is the attraction of many pantomimes and this production does not disappoint, from the opening swashbuckling-style movie music and Silver’s dastardly first appearance to catchy ditties, audience participation and well worked comic routines, but it then shifts into another gear with original and inventive elements such as Silver’s parrot renamed Alexa with all the misunderstandings normally attributed to Amazon’s virtual assistant and Freeman’s manic attempts to get off stage as a Spanish accented mermaid left stranded on stage.
Eschewing frequent costume changes, fantastical set designs and special effects usually associated with big budget pantomimes, this production’s success lies with its dynamic cast’s energetic and enthusiastic performances and director John Nicholson’s inventive direction, filling the whole stage with Stevenson’s well-loved story.
The intentionally amateurish quality of the show provides its winning charm and the odd accident, occasional instances of corpsing and impromptu asides to the audience are seized on by the cast as grist for the mill. If you are looking for entertainment for kids of any age then you could not do better than this production at Bristol Old Vic.
Runs until July 30, box office: bristololdvic.org.uk
