Review: WICKED WITCHES! A POPULAR PANTO, Pleasance Theatre
Photo credit: Ella Carmen Dale
In the last couple of years, it seems like alternative pantomimes have begun to proliferate in and around London, trading on the rampantly bawdy humour and classically subverted gender roles to target audiences beyond the traditional family unit.
If you’re looking to take a chance on a seasonal spectacle with a twist, this reviewer has just the recommendation for you…
Shane ShayShay Konno is the mastermind behind Wicked Witches!, this year’s panto offering from the Pleasance, which cashes in on the current hype around the release of Wicked: For Good. This production is a wickedly funny and wildly good mash-up of Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, with a few choice twists presenting the characters as you’ve never seen them before.
The cast unanimously throw themselves into their roles, not excepting Jeremy Corbyn MP and Sir Ian McKellen who both appear in side-splitting on-screen cameos.
Ro Suppa is a spectacularly watchable Dor – our friend Dorothy Gale all grown up and happily embracing being non-binary. Suppa is a confident and assured performer in their delivery of Konno’s whip-smart script as well as their ad libbing with the audience.
Eleanor Burke bubbles with charm as The Good Witch we all might know as Glinda. To convey such expression and physical humour through drag make up, a wig the size of a golden retriever and the world’s largest pavlova of a dress is no mean feat, and Burke excels here with stomach-clutching hilarity.
Konno folds in the requisite pop culture references, leaning heavily towards the humour of the chronically online queers (extra points if you recognised the ‘Pooja what is this behaviour’ reference).
Rudy Percival’s musical arrangements and sound design are fantastic, parodying some choice hits of the year with a real sense of musicality, rather than a cacophony of crap karaoke. Isabella van Braeckel and Cieranne Kennedy-Bell’s designs across set and costume are sumptuous, colourful and full of whimsy.
It makes sense that there is a family-friendly version of the show, given the number of teachable moments in this production. We learn about challenging binaries, forgiveness and accountability, the dangers of capitalist greed and even the climate crisis. Laid out like this, it sounds eye-rollingly earnest and queasily preachy, but dressed in glitter and bubbles, Wicked Witches! is a cavalcade of silliness with a tender heart.
It's impossible not to have a great time at Wicked Witches! – start your festive season right and don’t miss this riotously fun panto!
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Livvy Perrett
