Omar F Okai’s Pinocchio for the Stratford East is probably one of the most wholesome and traditional pantos I’ve seen for a long time – whilst bringing in a colourful and high production value sense of otherworldliness. Stewart J Charlesworth’s sets (and costumes) are sumptuous and playful without a single nod to the Germanic fairy tales and their imagery (castles, princes) that are so often source material of the British pantomime tradition. Of course, the story of Pinocchio is actually more recent than such standards as Little Red Ridinghood or Cinderella – having originated not from a generations-old folk tale but from a late 19th century novel by Carlo Collodi of Tuscany.
Whilst many will automatically associate any story of Geppetto’s wooden puppet coming to life as ‘a real boy’ with the seminal 1940 Disney animation, Okai’s production returns to some of the core plotlines of the Collodi novel (and indeed touched upon in Guillermo del Toro’s 2022 stop-motion masterpiece) rather than walks in Disney’s footsteps — and it does so with a strong sense of fun and the wonder of live theatre.
Pinocchio (Dylan Collymore) is an ideally identifiable protagonist for children: he is small and vulnerable and his naiveté (that must drive the classic panto confusion of “which way?” “where is he?” [“behind you!”]) makes sense seeing as he was literally born yesterday. Collymore’s movement is expressive and the visual effects that surround him give richness and humour to the production – I could see the look of awe on the faces of young audience members at key moments. The wooden puppet-boy encounters enough risk to get young children’s pulses racing but not to the level of terror that the brothers Grimm or Collodi’s unedited work might provoke these days.
Veteran panto dame, Michael Bertenshaw, chews the scenery in the front-of-the-curtain numbers in classic tradition as The Blue Rinse Fairy. I was pleased that the gags are sweetly cheesy rather than edging into the (barely) double entendres that will pepper, say, Julian Clary’s Palladium performances. This show is basically G-rated and also devoid of the local or political in-jokes that dominated panto for the last few Christmases.
Having said that, this production if squarely for your kids. Trish Cooke’s book and lyrics move us from A to B, with Okai keeping the pacing tight but the story arch is a little muddled. But so what? This is panto. The script and the production it drives are like a grand, enveloping bejewelled cloak: there is plenty to get wrapped up in and to catch the eye even if it is a little roughly stitched – it doesn’t need bespoke tailoring to do the job.
Nicole Louise Lewis as Krik Krack (the cricket) has far and away the best voice in this production and I hope the rest of the cast might tune up to her high level for the rest of the run. Robert Hyman’s music keeps your toes tapping even if you may not remember any tunes on the way home.
This production also doesn’t scrimp on classic devices like throwing sweets or raining bubbles from the rafters – all of which are proven juvenile crowd-pleasers. Stratford East’s Pinocchio is an excellent seasonal family outing and one of the more appropriate full-length pantos for younger children. Even if a few elements feel a little disparate, Pinocchio is a jolly outing for the holidays.
Review by Mary Beer
“I want to be a real boy!”
Join wooden puppet Pinocchio, and his poor toy maker father Geppetto in Stratford this Christmas!
Will Blue Rinse Fairy and Krik Krak the cricket be able to keep Pinocchio off the crooked path, as he battles the trials and tribulations of becoming a “real boy”?
Round up your friends and family and join us for a reimagined telling of the fairy tale classic to find out.
The cast includes beloved panto dame Michael Bertenshaw returning to the stage as Blue Rinse Fairy, Rushand Chambers as Sly Fox, Dylan Collymore as Pinocchio, Nicole Louise-Lewis as Krik Krak, Charlotte Louise as Ella/Taylor and Dance Captain, Tok Morakinyo as Geppetto, Jhanaica Van Mook as Miss Kat, and Travis Wood as Lampwick/Antonio. MD/Keys Nick Barstow is joined by Perry Melius on Drums/Percussion and Sara Farina on Bass.
Writer Trish Cooke
Music and Lyrics Robert Hyman
Director Omar F. Okai
Set and Costume Designer Stewart J. Charlesworth
Lighting Designer Bretta Gerecke
Sound Designer Gareth Fry
Musical Director Nick Barstow
Choreographer Claudimar Neto
Assistant Choreographers Abz Kareem and Bradley Salter
Assistant Director Sadie-Jean Shirley
Casting Consultant Jill Green CDG
Casting Associate Tom Shiels
Costume Supervisor Alice Lessing
PINOCCHIO
Stratford East
23 November 2024 to 4 January 2025
