Anastasia Pantomime – New Players Theatre

Whilst Christmas isn’t the same without some pantomime cheer, you do get rather weary of watching yet another version of Snow White, Aladdin, Cinderella and all the usual Disney film looklikes. So it was with interest that I borrowed a friend’s five year old and took the tube to Embankment to the New Players Theatre (which is under the arches at Villiers Street where I had only even noticed a gay club and wine bar before).

The theatre gives the impression of being quite small as the rows are narrow, but it does go some way back. Happily, seats are on a substantial slope allowing small people to see over the heads of those in front. There’s a bar upstairs but me and the five year old made do with the two ushers selling sweets and programmes (at £2 it’s not worth it for the folded A4 sheet listing the cast) downstairs.

Without a band we were advised of the start of proceedings by some recorded music and the rather impressive baddie Rasputin (complete with Russian accent) appearing on stage cursing Tatiana’s Romanov empire and watching the young Anastasia run away.

Then the scene changed – we assume to a few years later as our heroine is now somewhat older but looking suitably teenage in her beret, large black coat and Ugg boots. We also meet Dimitri – played by the tall, lean Phil Bishop, Kit Allsopp as Tushi (probably the most comfortable player with the whole audience participation bit and looking a lot like Martin Freeman) and John Triggs in drag as Olga with a rather low line and impressive bosom and a Northern accent. At this point we were treated to our first song and the young dancers who did really well.

There were plenty of modern references – to Lady GaGa and Simon Cowell, - and corny jokes (e.g. the credit munch, cloak swishing lessons, like Bruce Willis but with hair) and a sing-a-long version of “Back in the USSR” although the distant rumble of the trains reminded us that we were, in fact, just below Charing Cross station. Then Anastacia showed us her impressive voice with a pretty good rendition of “How will I get through alone?”.

My five year old companion took it all in – and his attention was totally focused on the stage while I supplied a steady stream of chocolates and sweets. As a Jace Everett fan I was delighted with Rasputin’s version of “Bad things” – complete with suitably horrible actions of what he would do to Anastasia when he caught her as she travelled to Paris on a ship with Olga and Dimitri. There was the obligatory ghost scene and the audience did their bit with some “It’s behind you”.

Once in Paris we met Tatiana again – and Mr Bean who generated squeals of delight – who looked rather wobbly and who the audience adored. There was some birthday singing and some boys versus girls challenges before we saw the final scene where Anastasia looked like a proper Princess and we saw some more dancing by the youngsters. And, much to my small companion’s delight, a bit of sword play to the music of “Eye of the Tiger”.

The final number – not one of my favourite’s but clearly well received by the audience – was the Glee version of “Don’t stop believing”.

Unlike many pantomimes these days, this wasn’t a lavish production. The scenery comprised painted sheets and there were no pyrotechnics. And it was really rather cold in the theatre. But although I thought it was a little on the amateur side – perhaps to be expected with such a young cast and very young dancers – the audience’s enthusiastic participation suggested that it was a hit and even my small person companion pronounced that it was “good”. As he had sat from 7pm to 845pm with only a 20 minute break I figure that he had enjoyed it.