Hansel & Gretel

Hansel & Gretel

I love going to the theatre, it's one of the things I miss most about London, but thankfully Poole has a really amazing one with some great shows on the bill. And just like visiting Christmas lights and seeing Father Christmas is a tradition, so too is a trip to the theatre at this time of year.

Last year we watched – and loved – Lighthouse's Christmas show, The Night Before Christmas, so this year we eagerly booked tickets for Hansel and Gretel in the Studio, which is aimed at 3-8 year olds. And I'm so glad we did because it was fabulous!

We all know the story of the siblings who get abandoned in the woods and tempted by an evil witch and her gingerbread house, so I don't need to recap on that here. But what I will say is that the whole production was very cleverly done and aimed perfectly at its audience. 

Before the performance began, Hansel and Gretel (otherwise known as Sean Mulkerrin and Lauren Scott-Berry) ventured out into the audience, introducing themselves to the children and playing "I-Spy", which the kids absolutely loved. This helped to create a relaxed, friendly atmosphere that lasted throughout the show as the children happily shouted directions, comments and interacted with the performers (the snowball fight at the end was particularly well received, except perhaps by poor Lauren, who got hit in the face by one!). There were elements of panto ("Oh yes there were!"), songs and audience participation (we were all pretty good at being trees, birds and squelching through bogs).

"So Hansel, do you wanna build a snowman?"

My four-year-old was mesmerised and managed to sit still for almost the whole 50-minute performance (that's another good sign, when you can hold a child's concentration for a decent stint of time). Full credit goes to Sean and Lauren for putting an audience primarily of little people at ease and for their performances – I was particularly impressed by how believable their movements were when pretending to be caught in a storm. 

The show's only on until Christmas Eve, so if you fancy going, you'll need to be quick, but Forest Forge, the company behind it (www.forestforge.co.uk), will be back at Lighthouse next year – and I'll definitely be checking out another one of its shows then.

(Pictures courtesy of Lighthouse, Poole)

It's panto time! Oh yes it is!

If there’s one thing guaranteed to bring a smile to your face on a wet and windy winter’s night, it’s a trip to the panto. I haven’t watched a pantomime since I was a child, but after last night, I’ll be making sure I won’t miss another.

Christmas and pantomimes go hand in hand – they’re a wonderful family tradition that lets everyone remember not to take life too seriously. But there’s a recipe that a panto must follow – it has to have romance, a baddie, slapstick, comic sidekicks, a sprinkling of fairy magic, singing, dancing and, of course, audience participation. And Robin Hood at Lighthouse, Poole, ticked all these boxes.

So the story goes like this. The dashing outlaw Robin Hood is stealing from the rich to give to the poor, while the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham (Boo! Hiss!) is plotting to kidnap Maid Marian and force her to marry him so he can inherit her money, whilst also planning his revenge on Robin, his sworn enemy.  What you don’t expect in this tale is nods to Riverdance, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and songs by One Direction and Taylor Swift. Yes, really!

Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen…

But a story’s nothing without a good cast to support it, and credit must be given to last night’s stars. CBBC favourite Ed Petrie was on fine form as Robin, while Patrick Kane was superb as the villainous Sheriff. The female leads – Alicia Woodhouse as Maid Marian and Stephanie Walker as Mary The Fairy  – shone for their singing and dancing skills respectively (and their pretty, sparkly costumes). But let’s not forgot the supporting cast – those guys and girls can sing, dance, change costumes in a flash and the smiles never left their faces!

And it didn’t leave mine either. I laughed at all the terrible jokes and at the silly bits of slapstick. Hilariously, the cast laughed too – at times they couldn’t keep a straight face, which just made the audience laugh even harder. I booed and hissed, I chorused “Oh no it isn’t” and “Behind you”! I sang (badly!), I danced. I immersed myself fully in the panto experience. And I loved it!

But don’t just take my word for it. Get yourself a ticket and go see for yourself!

Robin Hood is on at Lighthouse, Poole, from now until Sunday 4 January. For more information or to book tickets, call 0844 406 8666 or visit www.lighthousepoole.co.uk

Shiny! 

Photos by David Stroud and Hattie Miles