INFECTIOUS energy, unbeatable talent and great performances featured at the preview of Manama Theatre Club’s (MTC) latest festive pantomime yesterday.
HELP! I’m a Celebrity Pantomime Dame, Get Me Out of Here!, penned by noted playwright Ian Hornby, was brought alive by a confident cast, brilliantly directed by MTC chairperson Hannah Turner.
Ms Turner cleverly adapted the play to Bahrain, adding local references that forced more than a chuckle or two out of the audience throughout the two-and-a-half hour show, with a 10-minute refreshment break midway through to provide a moment of ease from the side-splitting mayhem.
Incorporating characters and ideas from fairytales, including Aladdin, Cinderella and Snow White, the show exhibited all the qualities of a perfect pantomime, with great music and slapstick comedy that was delicately executed – it’s a tricky form of humour that could come across as ‘trying too hard’. But not the MTC – they were spot on!
Some of the dialogues delivered were presented in a poetic, rhyme-like captivating style encouraging the audience to almost lip sync with the actors. It was a very addictive experience.
In fact, there were scenes that had audience interaction specifically in mind and a few members had to display their ‘improv skills’ – it was definitely one of the highlights of the show.
‘The Great Storyteller’ kept returning to give anyone who might have lost the plot a bit of guidance, briefly narrating the goings on ... and setting the stage for upcoming scenes.
The costumes deserve a mention as they complemented the characters, some even highlighting a fun MTC spin. The genie’s outfit, for instance, was not the typical one I was expecting but came from the popular American fantasy sitcom series I Dream of Jeannie, which caught me off-guard in a good way.
The striking sets added to the vibe of the play as did the cleverly designed props.
In traditional farcical panto fashion male actors played female characters and vice versa, and they must all take a bow. It was also a testament to the thriving local talent that has been honed by MTC over the years!
Amongst the stars of the show were Buttons played by Liz Begeron, Evil Queen played by Catherine Noor, Story Teller played by Amanda Roberts and Wicked Stepmother played by Jamie McIntosh.
It’s also the first time in the history of MTC that a panto has been produced and directed by the same person. The last pantomime was in 2019 and since Ms Turner couldn’t find a willing producer she took it upon herself to answer the plea from many Brits staying on the island throughout the festive season who wanted one to be staged again.
Don’t miss HELP! I’m a Celebrity Pantomime Dame, Get Me Out of Here! to be staged at The British Club on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For tickets, visit the club’s Instagram bio @mtcbahrain for details.
- Melissa Nazareth
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