Rapunzel Pantomime Review by Freya

They say every fairytale has a twist… but in this one, the twist is 70 feet long and needs a new comb!

Rapunzel, a young woman who has been stuck under her “Mother’s” control in a large Lighthouse. Mother Gothel, a horrible siren of the sea who has kidnapped Rapunzel for the power of her hair, who is enchanted with a power to keep people young. She has one friend. A puffin, funny and outgoing and would do anything for Rapunzel. Down in the village, there's a… charming… maiden who has a love for hairdressing, but carries burdens of her own. Although, she is lucky enough to be able to cut the hair of the Prince of Neyland. Prince Nathaniel of Neyland. Halfway through the haircut, Rapunzel’s puffin stumbles into the hairdressers in search of a birthday present. After the interaction and finding out Rapunzel has been trapped in the lighthouse from birth, the prince and maiden decide to do something about it. With the help of Perry-Winkle the sea sprite and along the way the puffin, they begin. Do they succeed? You’ll have to find out…

Torch theatre production, Rapunzel, was an amazing pantomime. I was on my seat wiggling like a puffin and laughing along with the rest of the crowd. The jokes were hilarious, especially the ones coming from that very outstanding hairdresser. Whether they were for the older ones or to make the youngest laugh, they always had a pun to say that gave everyone a laugh. If you claim you didn’t crack a smile, you’re lying. 

The storytelling was amazing. It was engaging and made sense through the entire thing. I was engaged and hooked through every second, unable to take my eyes off the stage in case I would miss something. I don't think it was just me though. Everyone was hooked at all times. The characters' performances were well acted and contributed to how I was never able to take my eyes off the stage at any time. The actors displayed their characters well, even if the “actor” was a sponge with a moustache. You’ll know when you watch it! It's not just the acting that brought the characters to life. The outfits were amazing. I have never known someone who could pull off wearing fish and chips. Every outfit gave us an idea of each character and it really added to the story. The set design was amazing as well. The braided hair around the set was wonderful and the colourful lights during songs added to it all.

Compared to other shows from the past, this one is close to the top. It was fun and intriguing and had everyone bouncing on their seats to find out what would happen next. I’d recommend this show to all ages because it will give everyone a good laugh and have all kinds of people having all kinds of fun. It is an amazing show for young children and adults as well as all of the in between. I personally enjoyed this very much and would watch this many times over. 

Rapunzel, the hair-raising adventure can be seen on the Torch Theatre stage now until Sunday 28 December. Relaxed Environment Performance Saturday 13 December at 2pm and BSL Interpreted Performance on Tuesday 16 December at 6pm. Ticket price: £24.50 | £20.00 Cons | £78.00 Family. For further information visit the Torch Theatre website www.torchtheatre.co.uk/phone the Box Office on (01646) 695267 or click here.

Image: Chris Lloyd