REVIEW

PIRATES OF THE PAVILION

WEYMOUTH PAVILION

SLAPSTICK humour, fast-talking antics and comedy routines have been piled high in Weymouth Pavilion’s latest summer panto.

The sixth in the Pirates of the Pavilion series, this year sees many familiar faces return as the pirates, and this year they are off to Egypt and the tomb of Pharaoh Rocher.

Teenager Alex Rogan, 17, of Weymouth's WOW musical youth theatre is enjoying his first professional role in the panto as the evil Captain Cutlass, determined to steal the Ribena Ruby and use it for badness. He is perhaps the youngest baddie I’ve ever seen, but his quick comic timing and engaging stage presence belied his years.

Bournemouth’s Tegen Jones entertained with strong singing as Spirit of the Seas, and Liam Mellor kept the laughs rolling as Seadog Billy, the daft and squeaky-voiced comic lead.

Robert Squire, is in his fifth season in the role of the bumbling Captain Filibuster, was the straight man to Billy’s silliness and Isla Rose was a lively and fun Pirate Poppy. A troupe of local dancers kept the action moving in a series of dazzling costumes.

Their misheard lyrics had us all chuckling and there was heaps of audience engagement, which kept everyone energised, including hurling bananas and pirate dancing.

A massive, humongous gorilla with quite a peculiar way of moving may haunt my nightmares for some nights to come – it was quite something. On the critter front too, the crocodile made us all laugh with its rendition of All By Myself.

Pirates of the Pavilion is on every Monday and Tuesday throughout August with shows at 2pm & 6pm each day. There’s an adults-only performance of the show on Tuesday, August 20 (age 16+).

Book at weymouthpavilion.com or call the Box Office on 01305 783 225.