REVIEW: The Wizard of Oz, People's Theatre, Newcastle
Panto that's really pretty wicked
Panto season can be a time of defining memories, of wonderful theatrical spectacle and pitch-perfect performance. It can also, frankly, be a bit of a Pandora’s box, unleashing all manner of horrors upon us.
It’s Christmas. A lot can be forgiven by an audience with enough mulled wine inside it.
But on the other hand, for any serious theatre group or company – professional or amateur – a lot can ride on it. The funding of a forthcoming season of adventurous programming, for instance.
Where, you’ll be thinking, is this review going?
Well, the good news (there’s no bad, rest assured) is that the People’s Panto of 2026 does just what it says on the tin, or at least on the front of the programme where it’s billed as “a Wicked Pantomime by Tom Whalley”.
It’s wicked in the sense of really pretty good, a confection of likeable characters (and a wicked – in the sense of just wicked – witch), colourful costumes, a straightforward storyline, more groan-worthy jokes than you’d find in a cracker factory and more dancing girls than you’d imagine existed.
And the latter come in all sizes, the tiniest of them made visible to the naked eye (I was sitting right at the back) by their glittery outfits and sprightly yet surprisingly accomplished dance moves.
There are alternating dance troupes throughout the week but if they’re all as expertly drilled as those performing on Sunday night, audiences will be well served.
The principals have been well cast by director Pamela Willis and her assistants, with Erin Hattrick (last year’s Alice in Alice in Wonderland) back as Dorothy Gale, shadowed by Rosa Cole operating Toto, the dog.
Most of the rest play dual roles, as the farm folk we meet at the beginning – in Heaton, as this version of the famous story has it – morphing into their fantastical counterparts once dozing Dorothy is whisked off along the Yellow Brick Road by a bit of squally weather.
Aunt Em becomes Glinda The Good Witch with Ian Willis camping it up under his fancy frocks while Hickory, Dickory and Doc are transformed into Scarecrow (Jess Chapman), Tin Man (Alison Carr) and the Cowardly Lion (Joe Moore).
All throw themselves into their roles with great gusto, as does Hattie Easson who brings her accomplished singing voice to the role of the Wicked Witch of the West.
I’m not sure if Rachel Potts drew a short straw to play Winkie the Monkey, sidekick of the WW of the W, but she gives it her all – as does the musical trio lined up above the action at the back of the stage.
Uncle Henry, of course – spoiler alert – is revealed at the climax of the show (actually, this is a show of multiple climaxes – just when you think it’s the last gasp flourish, along comes another) in a very clever way. I’ll leave it at that.
It’s not a particularly short show – over two hours with interval – but the story races along that yellow highway at some pace, which is generally a sign that a production is going as planned.
In a packed auditorium, the kids went mental on Sunday night – the ghost scene a particular hit – and everyone seemed to have a really good time.
The foyer is nicely decorated, too, with pictures by local primary schoolchildren who have offered their own interpretations of the story being told on stage. Very inventive and funny, too.
The Wizard of Oz runs until Sunday, December 21. Tickets from the People’s Theatre website. Box office: 01912 2655020.