With Christmas just around the corner, there is nothing like seeing a pantomime at this time of year, and the Limelight theatre production of Puss in Boots will definitely hit the spot for some Christmas cheer. With an enormous 30-strong cast, this show is a dazzle of song, dance and melodramatic acting that is as impressive as it is entertaining. You will laugh, cheer, boo and get to sing along to the many well-known songs and feel like you are just as much part of the show as the actors.
The pantomime twist of the traditional story of Puss in Boots tells of Jack (Zavier Wileman), a poor miller son who is left just a cat (Beau Poole) after his father dies. Zavier Wileman as Jack gave a strong performance and was well loved by the audience. At times his vocalisation could have been louder and clearer and this was also amplified by some minor technical difficulties.
Beau Poole as Puss in Boots was a bundle of energy and clearly very talented. I absolutely loved his physicality as Puss but would comment that he could have connected with other actors clearer. My six year old daughter pinned Beau as her favourite actor!
The two go through various mishaps over the story, often at the hands of Jack’s two dimwit brothers, Jasper (Isaac McAuley) and Jethro (Jason Pearce). Both played the role with suitable comic timing and made a great pair. Isaac McAuley, as Jasper, would blossom with more confidence.
The two brothers fall in love with Babs (Sarah McDonald) and Betty (Eleanor Mulder). Both actors held a tune well and added to the professionalism of this production. Jack then falls in love with Princess Esmerelda (Zoe Anderson), whose extensive training was evident in her performance. She is a very proficient dancer and singer, bringing charm to the stage.
Jack and Esmerelda’s love is interfered with by the Orge (Andrew Govey), who was an absolute hit with the audience. With a very powerful resonance and performance, he gave me a few belly laughs over the night. The Orge was helped by the Bad Fairy (Gwen Browning), who was incredibly articulate and clear as an actor. I enjoyed her performance, even if I didn’t like her character and joined in on booing her!
To counter this, we had the Good Fairy (Christine Smith), who helped put things right. Smith’s warm energy suited the character perfectly, and she held herself as the character equally as well as Browning.
The standout performance, though, was from the Queen (Chris McCafferty). McCafferty, who nailed the art of Pantomime, had me in bundles of laughter. He is clear and articulate, and his comedic timing was spot on. His ability to interact with the audience and his rifting was hilarious. Cher and Sonny’s song ‘I’ve Got You Babe’ that he preformed with his King (RJ Smolders) was particularly funny. Smolders was so well fit for the role of the submissive King and his dottering characterisation was on point.
Last but not least, the young Luis Proctor as The Page stepped confidently into the big task of opening the show with a song. This boy has a bright future ahead of him.
I won’t give away the end of the story but all in all this was a wonderful production from a very cohesive and professional cast. The standard was very high for amateur theatre and the ensemble as well at the dancer significantly added to this.
This show was a full house on opening night, so if you want to see this splendid production, I suggest booking your tickets right now! This is definitely one not to be missed.
To book tickets to Puss In Boots, please visit TAZTix or phone 9255 3336.
