Wales Community Theatre Players’ Dick Whittington – 16 January 2026, Montgomery Theatre
Review by Claire Taranaski.
Wales Community Theatre Players annual panto is one of the ones that I recommend to families throughout the year and last night’s opening night continued to prove why I do, presenting a masterclass in how to deliver the perfect panto, with faultless execution of all the key elements from casting to comedy, choreography to musical numbers, the panto essentials including of the course the singing bench to the unexpected 3D, which over the past few years they have made a panto essential, and of course a great telling of a classic panto story.
I would usually start with the main cast but the full ensemble are often forgotten about and in this case need to be celebrated. From the opening number of “Panto’s Back Alright” to the finale of “Can’t Stop The Feeling” you could tell the full ensemble and cast were enjoying every minute and wanted the audience to enjoy every minute to (my six year old daughter was up and dancing on the balcony). Their harmonies and choreography (including full company thigh slapping) were fun and beautiful, they interacted superbly with the main cast, with the friendship between everyone on stage shining through and on the Montgomery stage the 20 plus ensemble never felt crowded.
Toni Cook makes a welcome return as principal boy Dick Whittington and it’s hard to find something new to write about her as she continues to be perfect for the part, with wonderful stage presence, chemistry with all the characters, beautiful vocals and immediately getting the audience on her side. Eve Rowles as principal girl and love interest Alice Fitzwarren possessed the same qualities and delivered traits all little girls in the audience could hope to have. However their were three in this relationship and I need to give Tom (the funky cat with attitude) played amazingly by Beth Wade a lot of the credit. This wasn’t any old panto cat, Beth made Tom her own, possessing all of the above qualities with but with extra coolness and shining in the musical numbers, whether physically bringing the love interests together in their duet “Dance With Me Tonight” to showing off her own dance skills in a solo performance to Toni’s “Somewhere Out There” heart felt production or being the cast member who made the full ensemble of “Get The Party Started” all about their dance floor moves.
Every panto needs a baddie and Alison Wade as Queen Rat was everything you need, immediately making me think of a female Fagan mixed with Caitlin Moran with the wardrobe of Kat Slater. I was slightly nervous about her performance of “Rat Out Of Hell” as it’s very hard to compete with the late Meatloaf but by the time she reached the chorus she made it her own. Queen Rat was accompanied by her trainee rats Scratch and Sniff, performed by youngsters Elliott McHale and Khloe McMillan, who had confidence beyond their years and made adorable little trouble makers.
You could not tell that is was Faye Wood’s first panto as she was everything you would want from a fairy narrator whilst also proving to have the most powerful singing voice of the entire cast in her solo number “There Can Be Miracles”. Last but not least the Sultan, played last minute by director Ashley Booker, needs a special mention for making us all suddenly wonder why Lee Mack seemed to have joined the show. He was also the only character who seemed to be able to manage the dame’s man hungry ways. At this point I must also give a special mention to the ensemble member who sang brilliantly the lead of “Jai Ho” in the Sultan’s temple.
A panto is not a panto without the comedy, and this production offered something for all ages from one more liners than a Tim Vine tour to slapstick comedy from my daughter’s favourite of pastry covered bottoms and knee-ing dough in the essential kitchen scene to my favourite of the mop routine. Idle Jack played by Paul Burgess, with the best selection of “Pull Your Socks Up Jack” socks you will ever see was going to be a stand out from the moment he brings his cabbage on a string on stage; Joseph Bairstow as Alice’s father Alderman Fitzwilliam showed off a talent for tongue twisters and sea shanties; Lee Phillips and Dan Schofield as Captain Cuttlefish and Scupper were a great nautical double act and not forgetting the maneater of a dame Dolly Dumpling (I will struggle to get the image of her in her bikini out of my head) less played by and more embodied by Tom Ingall. Between the five of them they provided all the comedy an audience could wish for and in a show with so many I don’t think any failed not to hit.
The production team have been instrumental in creating this amazing show. Alongside playing the Sultan, Ashley Booker was a superb director getting the most out of everyone involved; new to the company choreographer Gwen Walker’s choreography fitted right in and was delivered step perfect by the entire cast and ensemble, and as I mentioned even got my daughter moving along; whilst Ray Gallagher as musical director also got the best out of the entire cast and ensemble cleverly rewording and rearranging a range of musical numbers offering something for all audience members supported note perfectly by the five piece band. I must also give a special mention to the wardrobe team for their multiple full cast and ensemble costume changes throughout.
if you are looking for the perfect panto to get you and your family through this long January Wales Community Theatre Players production of Dick Whittington should not be missed.
