Traditional Pantomime by Alan P Frayn
Review by Hunter King
The Edinburgh People’s Theatre has sailed into the Church Hill Theatre on a sea of childhood wonder with Sinbad the Sailor. Sinbad (Carol Bryce) must embark on one final adventure to retrieve a magical pearl that has been stolen by the wicked Evilena (Suzanne Senior). With the help of some friends: Norma Snickers (Mandy Black), Tinbad the Tailor (Al Brown), Silly Sally (Gemma Dutton), and Princess Miranda (Lynsey Spence), Sinbad journeys around the world and to the bottom of the sea on the quest for the pearl and to save the life of his friend Prince Said (Allan Carty).
The story admittedly starts a bit slow, with a lot of exposition, but any boredom is quickly squashed with the first big musical number. Vocally, this cast is a mixed bag, but clear standouts are Black and Dutton. They have a natural boom to their voices that radiates through the air of Church Hill. Notably, “Let’s Get Loud” and “Seize the Day” stood out vocally as the strongest numbers. With this said, the ensemble receives all the praise for this production, keeping the energy high throughout and compensating for any smaller flaws that may arise in the show. Accompanying the ensemble, the small band plays with gusto.
Black brings a fun and inviting energy to Snickers, and while she may not be the bouncing-off-the-wall type of dame that is commonly seen in pantos, she does bring a lovely motherly tone to the role that immediately makes her a trustworthy character to lead the pack of supporting heroes. Bryce brings an excited and adventurous energy to Sinbad. Her energy feels fitting for the character. She is natural to listen to and immediately garners the support of the audience.
There are a few sequences in the show that were very exciting, including the first sailing number and the incorporation of sea shanties, which also saw everybody changing into fun (and slightly less problematic) sailing costumes. Additionally, the sequence under the water with glow-in-the-dark marine animals sparked a childlike wonder through the entire auditorium. This, to me, was the most impressive and exciting moment of the show, showing the full potential of EPT’s design capabilities. The panto does, of course, tick all of the boxes that are needed for authenticity, including a lucky selection of a few kids to go onstage to lead the audience in a big song, lots of boos and shouting “oh no it’s not.”
It was clear that this panto had more of a focus on the kids in the audience, lacking some of the adult humour that is often presented in these types of performances, but making up for it with childlike whimsy. This worked well for the group as the audience was absolutely packed with young kids. Although the show had a bit of a slow Act One and a few clunky scene transitions, EPT has brought a fun and festive panto for the holiday season that is sure to delight families and put them in the Christmas spirit.
A Sea of Childhood Wonder
Sinbad the Sailor runs at The Church Hill Theatre until December 21st
Running time: Two hours with one interval
Review by Hunter King (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Hunter is a 2024 Master’s graduate of the University of Edinburgh and current doctoral candidate with a thesis focused on experimental theatre in Edinburgh. He has been a theatre practitioner for over a decade having worked in many capacities including as a director, actor, stage manager, front of house manager, and technician as well as others. Prior to moving to Edinburgh, Hunter was a high school English teacher in the United States. His passion for the written word as well as his passion for live performance are what motivated him to become a writer for this publication.
