Review: The Adventures of Pinocchio
Theatre Royal, Newcastle ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Carlo Collodi’s 140-year-old tale of the mischievous wooden puppet boy promised a flesh and blood existence if he behaves is given a shimmering new lease of life in this year’s panto at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle.
Pinocchio is a title rarely performed these days and yet it has a strong narrative and wonderful cast of fanciful characters that make it perfect for the festive treatment. Oh, yes it does!
Swathed in bold Technicolor hues and laced with crafty comedy and a host of familiar songs old and new, this Pinocchio wraps the audience in a warm nostalgic embrace from the very start, the strains of When You Wish Upon A Star setting the tone for what is to come.
It’s a dazzling, laugh out loud, anarchic affair, but then what else would you expect from producer, writer and director, Michael Harrison and Newcastle favourites Clive Webb and Danny Adams. As the programme so eloquently puts it, ‘Written by Carl Collodi. Ruined by Michael Harrison, Danny Adams and Clive Webb’. Together they weave story, tradition and the manic energy for which they have become known.
Adams, as irreverent and irrepressible as ever, ensures his Pinocchio is everything you could wish. Whether knee deep in foam, having the odd ‘acciduunt’ or just generally creating mayhem, he is a master of his craft - never more so than when expelling audience members from the auditorium or coaxing middle-aged dads to try his uni-cycle.
Webb’s Gepeto proves once again the perfect foil for his on stage and real life son, the pair sharing an innate shorthand. It’s a delight to watch. So too, Adams’ scenes with Joe McElderry boast an easy chemistry. McElderry, a verdant Jiminy Cricket, may well sing a lot, but there is so much more to his performance, despite Adams’ teasing, and his vocals remain powerfully impressive.
Indeed, it’s with McElderry that Adams pushes his humour to its bawdy limit; never quite crossing the line, though getting close especially at moments when his nose grows ever longer… in some cases obscenely so. It’s outrageous but eye-wateringly funny.
If every panto needs a baddie, Toonside on the Tyne has the evil Sunderland showman, The Great Stromboli, a sophisticated and suavely sinister Wayne Smith who is aided in his scheme to kidnap Pinocchio by sassy sidekicks, Kitty, The Cat and Phyllis, The Fox, played with persuasive charm by Kylie Ann Ford and Christina Berryman Dawson.
Of course, no review of a Theatre Royal panto would be complete with a mention of Chris Hayward’s glorious Dame, one of the most glamorous in the business. As Dame Rita Rigatoni (Hiya Hinny) his costumes don’t disappoint, watch out for an inventive little Barbie number and a hilarious rendition of I’m A Geordie Girl.
Throw in the a death-defying fire act, which is a speciality act worth seeing, sparkling staging and special effects and you have a panto that isn’t just a feast of fun, but a feast for all the senses.
Runs until 17 January, 2024, tickets here
