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The Union Theatre in Association with Antenna Productions present
Oh No It Isn’t
by Philip Lawrence
Music By Richard Bates
Directed by Sasha Regan
Union Theatre
8 Dec - 16 Jan 09
A review by Alexandra Carey for EXTRA! EXTRA!
It was a cold, rainy night and south of the river a storm was brewing. The Union Theatre was preparing to open the doors to panto-ville and rewrite the rules of fairy tales in ways you never thought possible. The Hex factor auditions were fast approaching, and nothing would ever be the same again. Ok - so thats not exactly how it happened. What really happened was this; Lawrence, Bates and Regan took a topical and rather familiar gripe against reality TV and flash-in-the-pan celebrity culture and sandwiched it between all that’s campest in musical comedy and panto - with a dash of fairy tale mockery, a splash of burlesque and a liberal garnish of confused genders - the result was a hilarious Christmas happy-ever-after. There’s everything you’d expect from an ‘adult panto’ - plenty of naughty jokes, salacious stereotypes and sexy dancing, but Oh No It Isn’t retains the cheekiness of panto and somehow manages to finish on a surprisingly un-ironic note lending the slightest welcome whiff of wholesomeness! And it’s really very good. Of course there are all the predictable jokes, one liners and plot devices, but this snappy tale genuinely kept me interested all the way through. What’s more, the music managed to maintain all the comedy of pastiche without losing out on some truly funny lyrics and toe-tapping melodies (I was humming the finale all the way home!), whilst the dancing - and there was lots of it, in a pretty small space - was slick and visually impressive. There are plenty of strong performances but first prize must go to Fred Broom and Jordan Cluroe who absolutely steal the show as the fabulous Dripcock sisters. And there are plenty of little self conscious devices which keep the show stylish and clutter free, and remind us that a good deal of thought has gone into it. So, while Oh No It Isn’t is silly - and frankly a little strange at times - it’s gratifyingly well done. It’s also got this interesting device implanted into it which allows for audience members to perform as part of the ‘Hex Factor Auditions’ sequence. Now, although nobody took up this opportunity on the night I went, I can imagine some pretty funny nights to come and - for the sake of audience and cast - I implore you to don your best frock and get along to The Union with your party piece. What is Christmas if it’s not a time for leveling the playing field and giving loyal audience members a moment in the limelight?! It’s cashing in on what reality TV proves - audiences love to see other people making a fool of themselves, or at least risk doing so - and it’s good to see theatre taking a share of this pot! And that’s exactly what panto is when you boil it down - the pleasure of watching other people being extremely silly in a very public arena. The one thing panto guarantees but reality TV doesn’t - a proper happy ending. Ever- after.
Union Theatre Tickets: £15 7:30pm Box Office: 02072619876
book online at http://uniontheatre.biz/#/oh-no-it-isnt/4535437169
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