“Which scene is this?! Shit, am I in it?”
Such was the light-hearted panic I heard behind me as the press preview began. And this serves to nicely illustrate what the Oxford University Light Entertainers (OULES), and what this particular production, are all about. They don’t take themselves too seriously and they have an absolute whale of a time, even regularly managing to churn out plays. The society itself is an all-inclusive casting company, meaning that anyone who auditions, and wants a part, gets one, even if this involves writing in new characters. Moreover, all profits from every production always go to charity (Great Ormond Street in the case of Peter Pan; the Pantomime) and the company take their shows to those who normally have little access to the theatre; nursing homes, primary schools, special needs schools and the like. It is a company that gives confidence to those who may otherwise shy from auditioning for OUDS. Most importantly, it’s for those kids inside all of us that just want to have a laugh, make some friends and throw on a show.
I actually reviewed Worcester’s Peter Pan (Not the Pantomime) last week and so should probably point out that I bloody love Pan. My same point could be made this week; it’s a bunch of people having fun with a great, heart-warming concept. The difference is, as Johnny Simms himself points out (Pirate 7 in Peter Pan-tomime) in The Oxford Student’s nauseating “Thespionage” column, that one has a great array of dramatic talent, and the other, well, doesn’t. So, if I were a cynical Grinch of a bastard, I could happily write a bitchy critique of this play, but this would serve absolutely no purpose, and would undermine the work that OULES do. For what it’s worth, I fully support their ideas about drama and reckon it’s about time that this little troop get the publicity they deserve.
Right, so let’s get the “reviewing” part over. The acting is, generally speaking, what you’d expect but there are some highlights. Marcus Garner-Hatcher’s Smee is fantastic and the comic delight that holds the whole pantomime together (think what the Old Vic’s Aladdin would have been like without Ian McKellen – he’s that awesome). His banter with Hook (Martin Corcoran) is nicely devised and Corcoran himself looks like he’s having the time of his life. Good turns are added by Rory Morrison’s Dame and a sex-pot-secretary-meets-pseudo-gothic-nymphomaniac Tinkerbell, played voluptuously by Asha Hartland. I was also particularly enchanted by a pirate that looked like he’d taken the wrong turn on the way to an Aerosmith concert, clicking his fingers to the music with a manic gesture that made me shiver.
8th week, Moser Theatre, Tuesday to Thursday, what else are you going to do? They strike me as a great bunch, having a laugh and doing some much needed good in the world. So let’s stop sulking about coursework or that end of term cough and all go and have some fucking fun: Light Entertainers Style. Oh and there’s some songs about being happy and not wanting to grow up. I’m there; and I’m bringing my cuddly polar bear toy, too.
