Baguette yourself down to Jermyn Street Theatre for a real Bonaparty.
Tis the season for pantos, and all through London the classics are taking to the stages, from Cinderella to Dick Wittington. This winter Jermyn Street Theatre in partnership with Charles Court Opera have set themselves up to stand out from the crowd with a new hilarious production: Napoleon: Un Petit Pantomime. Written by John Savournin, Artistic Director of the CCO, and co-directed by Savournin and Benji Sperring, this show ticks all the pantomime boxes.
Jermyn Street Theatre is a lovely, intimate space, with an L shaped seating bank it is the perfect environment for an interactive show, and what is more interactive than a panto? Lucy Fowler makes the most of the (admittedly rather small) space, with a fantastic, colourful set. Her genius design incorporates all kinds of nods to the themes of the show – from classical portraits and swords mounted to the wall, to maps stretching across the floor and the back wall of the stage. Openings dotted all over the back wall allow for fun little pop-up moments throughout the production. Equally magnificent are the costumes, also designed by Fowler, garish bright garments which are appropriately flamboyant and silly.
The show opens with a funny musical number featuring Napoleon and some baguette-wielding French troops. After some speedy changes we are transported to London to meet King George III, his daughter, Georgina (in place of George IV) and the Duke of Wellington. Fed up of being silenced and disregarded by the men, and determined to make a difference, Georgina disguises herself as a male soldier and joins her father and the Duke on a mission to find the Black Prince’s Ruby, hidden in a vault in a public toilet near the Strand. All they need to succeed is the severed hand of Nelson, which Napoleon just so happens to have in his pocket. Napoleon, meanwhile, has enlisted the help of the ghost of Marie Atoinette, and together they attempt to trick the british trio, hoping to outwit them and beat them to the ruby. But who will win?
The ensemble is strong across the board, each of them have fantastic stage presence, and equal amount of stage time. They juggle puppetry, choreography, baguette-stage-combat, audience interaction, and of course marvellous musical numbers. Amy J Payne has a versatile voice, reaching high operatic notes in one song, and switching up to a pop belt in another. As Georgina, Payne is a real heroine, making the men look ever more (suitably) ridiculous. Elliot Broadfoot oozes pantomime energy, working the audience (despite a few too many call and response moments) into fits of laughter. A perfect match for Elliot, Rosie Strobel is eye-catching as Marie Antoinette, with a powerful voice and stage presence. Matthew Kellett is a wonderful villain as Napoleon, not to mention his evil laugh which is on point for the role. Jennie Jacobs, the Duke of Wellington, a traditional Principal Boy role, is fantastic, with a brilliant voice and energy.
The script is chock-full of puns, and though some fall flat, it’s lovely to see that the cast seem to be enjoying themselves just as much as the audience, and their energy is infectious. The rhyming couplets keep the script snappy, and wittily rewritten pop-classics get the audience almost wanting to sing along (especially a particularly impressive Abba parody). David Eaton not only composed the lyrics and music, but also takes to the stage as musical director and plays the keys, opposite fellow musician, guitarist Alex Menaker.
Napoleon: Un Petit Pantomime runs until 5th January at Jermyn Street Theatre. Though it’s not necessarily Christmassy per se, it will make for a hilarious night out with friends.