Review: Napoleon: Un Petit Pantomime, Jermyn Street Theatre

Review: Napoleon: Un Petit Pantomime, Jermyn Street Theatre

One of the biggest problems conventional pantomimes face is finding a new way to make a traditional tale fun and interesting. It’s something which has defeated many an accomplished writer and director, with only a bit of B-list star power and mild topical satire differentiating the various productions staged every year. But Charles Court Opera have solved this issue by doing something obvious but often ignored, as they’ve chosen a subject who has never been the focus of a pantomime before.

It’s a simple concept but it makes for an absolutely delightful farce, as they play on the idea that Napoleon wishes to seek revenge against the British for defeating him time and again. After establishing it’s going to be one long fictional rollercoaster ride, the show is packed with daft jokes, cover versions of famous songs with all-new lyrics, adorable puppetry, audience interaction and a variety of sight gags, all of which mean big laughs are impressively frequent, even if some are initially met with a knowing groan from the audience.

Not that it’s filled with obvious gags and puns: this is a far smarter creation and almost Shakespearean in its level of farce, as a bolshy Napoleon (Matthew Kellett) reveals he has chopped off Admiral Nelson’s right hand and carries it around to show off to anyone even vaguely interested. Yet when King George III (Elliot Broadfoot), his daughter Georgina (Amy J Payne) and the Duke of Wellington (Jennie Jacobs) learn that the aforementioned limb is the only way to open a mysterious vault in an underground toilet in London, they dash off to retrieve it. In order that these famous faces aren’t immediately spotted, everyone has to dress up in outlandish costumes.

The above might seem like madness, but the production is fully aware of how crazy the story is, to the extent that the audience are asked to shout out a rhyming couplet whenever the King makes a specific comment about the plot. There’s also lots of knowing jokes about how ridiculous it is, yet it was only after the show had ended that I became fully aware of how absurd the overall idea was, as the cast sell it so well. And what a cast this is. Benefitting from having worked together on a fair few previous performances they have a natural chemistry that money can’t buy. They’re all in on the same joke and, while these are without doubt broad performances, they’re playfully so, and never too far away from a nod and a wink at the audience.

After a riotous first half, the only slight disappointment is that the second is more of the same. It’s still charming and endearing and filled with fun, but it doesn’t really add any new ingredients to the mix. It’s a tiny complaint however given how great a show this is, and the beautifully sung songs, incredibly high jokes-per-minute format and fast paced action all add up to one of the most enjoyable pantomimes I’ve seen in decades.

Written by: John Savournin & David Eaton
Directed by: John Savournin and Benji Sperring
Musical Director: Lucy Fowler
Set & Costume Design by: Ben Pickersgill

Napoleon: Un Petit Pantomime is playing at the Jermyn Street Theatre until Sunday 5th January. Further information and booking details can be found here.