Just Entertainment Ltd’s Dick Whittington is everything you could want from a pantomime- it is colourful, energetic and a barrel of laughs. Taking to Hope Street Theatre, it is a festive delight for all the family. With local references aplenty (here’s hoping you aren’t visiting from the Wirral…) Dick Whittington will have you laughing, singing, and clapping along.

Ticking all the boxes of a panto, the first characters the audience meet are to be booed and booed only. Queen Rat (Lesley Butler) and all of her rat followers (including sidekick Ratasha (Roxanne Male)) are the snivelling bad guys and make for brilliant villains as they cackle their way through the show. Luckily, the Fairy Across the Mersey (Faye Griffiths) is on hand with sparkles and happiness to banish the gloom, and the energy levels are set for Dick Whittington. The story is nothing new, the old familiarity of boy-meets-girl with a dame thrown in, the comedic character and a sidekick to the good guy brings the comfort of panto season.

Each actor performs with just the right amount of exuberance deserving of the panto genre, with especially pitch perfect performances from Kieran Maleedy as ‘Idle Jack’ and the multi-roling Phil Perez. Perez takes to the stage donning several guises, playing three roles with charm as the audience grin and roll their eyes in equal measure. With one-liners from the rousing dame, Sarah the Cook (John Garfield-Roberts), taking the cheese to another level and the usual jokes set to soar over children’s heads, it makes for an entertaining watch.

The first act of scene-setting slows a little at the beginning but once it gains momentum Dick Whittington is off. Uproar from the audience as the characters get into it goes to show the compelling nature of the actors for the youngsters in the audience. Strong vocals are aplenty (Dick Whittington’s (Michael Irvine-Hall) sidekick Tilly the Cat (Freya Barnes) is unstoppable) and more than make up for several weaker songs where occasionally singing cannot be heard above the backing track. But, the song choices are apt, the audience are laughing along and merriment is in the air. Jaunty dance routines accompany the pop hits and lighting is well used to help scenes move along.

The good-natured chaos of the panto rears its head with this performance. From audience participation (of the willing kind and unwilling ‘grown-up’ kind), to downright silliness, Dick Whittington is a tonne of fun. There is a gentle charm to it as well, with an enthusiastic ensemble of dancers and creative costume and set design. If nothing else, Dick Whittington will get you in the festive spirit for the holidays and watching out for those mean rats about town…

Written by, Hannah Goldswain