Reviewed by Judene Edgar
Going to Nelson Repertory’s annual family pantomime is becoming a great Christmas tradition, and writer and director Alli Campbell has done it again! Go West has everything that you’d want in a pantomime – big chorus numbers, great dancing, fabulous costumes, a grand dame (and she was very grand indeed), a very bad baddie that we like to boo, some idiotic bad guys, a hero that we’re rooting for, and a combination of corny jokes, improvisation and laugh out loud moments.
Go West tells the story of the lovable but down-on-her-luck Scottish dame Bella McSporran’s (Nick Gastrell) journey west to New Zealand. Along the way she encounters the dreaded villain Blaize McSpreader (Anton Bentley). But fear not, for a miracle is just around the corner and it's in the form of Zippy (Simon Brealey), an angel-in-training with dreams of earning his wings. Together, they're about to take you on a journey like no other!
Nick, Simon and Anton are the pantomime dream-team. Nick is delightfully endearing as the grand dame and leads the large cast with the ease of a seasoned professional. And don’t forget to pay attention to Bella’s revolving door of fantastical hats designed by 2023 WOW finalists Betty Ross and Keith Marshall.
Simon brought the energy of a two-year-old at a birthday party that’s eaten too much sugar to the role of Zippy. We haven’t seen Simon on stage for a few years, but it was definitely worth the wait, and he really got the audience fully engaged.
And while we may be more used to seeing Anton sitting in the director’s chair, we must wonder why he’s been hiding his acting and singing talents. He had such a magnificent stage presence, and fully embodied the vain-glorious evil McSpreader. And what good is a baddie without a possie of henchmen/people!? Our gorgeous villain’s sidekicks were the idiotic Drookit (Amy Fray), Dubbs (Naomi Strain) and Dunderheid (Conor Montague). Amy was a real stand-out, so fabulously committed to her character.
For those of us old enough to remember Statler and Waldorf – the cantankerous duo from The Muppet Show who sat in the balcony heckling – Go West had their own version in the form of the Cap’n (Jeff Sewell) and Seafarer (Robin Ringwood) who provided some comedy gold.
Go West delivers an abundance of songs, silliness, and smiles. It is on at the Theatre Royal 7pm Thursday 14 to Saturday 16thas well as a 2pm matinee on the Saturday. Get your tickets online from the Theatre Royal today to see this fun family show.
