Review: Weans in the Wood – MacRobert Arts Centre

In his 20th year at the heart of the Macrobert Arts Centre’s annual celebration of all things panto, Johnny McKnight’s reign as the king/queen of the Scottish pantosphere looks secure. His riff on the auld English folk tale swaps out the Babes in favour of some Weans in the Wood, aptly named Hansel (Helen McAlpine) and Gretel (Kara Swinney), and mashes their story into that of Red Riding Hood (Dani Heron), the Big Bad Wolf (Robin MacKenzie), and quite a few others.

The result (a reworked version of his 2016 production of the same name) is a lively, superbly tuneful, and funny fairytale adventure.

Subverting Expectations

With McKnight occupying both the writer’s and director’s seats, you shouldn’t be surprised that Hansel and Gretel are both girls, unrelated except for sharing Magic Merlina’s (McKnight) magic classroom. Gretel’s the star pupil; Hansel’s the class clown. This is the scene upon which the panto opens in style, with a lavishly choreographed medley of re-worked anthems centred upon Chappell Roan’s HOT TO GO! transmuted into P-A-N-T-O Panto! Apparently dance is on the curriculum at the school as well as spellcraft…

This sets the standard for the show to come, with old tales lovingly subverted yet telling a familiar tale of good overcoming evil thanks to the power of love, friendship and compassion.

Lofty Ambitions

Yet before we speak of story, Weans in the Wood, we have to talk of the production values, because you cannot accuse this regional panto of lacking technical ambition.

For far having shot their bolt after that big opening gambit, the show doubles down time and time again. Framed by Karen Tennant’s superior storybook set, wrapped in Jennie Lööf’s technicolor costumes, and soundtracked by Alan Penman’s vibrantly recorded (kudos to the sound techs behind the scenes) soundtrack, packed with reworked chart classics, the stage is set for something special.

“… you cannot accuse this regional panto of lacking technical ambition.”

This is duly delivered by mini pop-concerts which regularly erupt on the stage whether it’s Kara Swinney defying gravity to belt out ‘Golden’ from KPop Demon Hunters (I know that one!), or McKnight leading out a big, bold ‘It’s Raining Men’ to open the second act, each one is a senation – though I could live without Jack Black’s ‘Steve’s Lava Chicken’ which pops up a little too often.

However, all of these pale before the decision to end the first Act with ‘One Day More’, the Act One finale from Les Miserables! To think of doing it is ambitious; to pull it off is just remarkable. It simply wouldn’t be doable without the superb voices of Swinney, MacKenzie, and Heron to lead it out, but the whole ensemble—supported with energised focus by a well-drilled Young Cast—deserves every single cheering clap for delivering such a thrilling co-option of one of the stage’s most heart-stopping numbers. It’s very possibly worth the price of admission alone.

Villains and Vamps

Yet, a panto has a duty beyond song and dance, and between these extravaganzas, Weans in the Wood offers a pacey (the whole thing is done and dusted in less than 2 hours) yet unquestionably epic comedy adventure. Alongside the ever larger-than-life McKnight, luxuriously costumed by Jennie Lööf and approximating everything from Ariana Grande’s Glinda to a Cupcake, is a sterling ensemble.

Standing proud amongst them, MacRobert perennial Robert Jack’s excellent villain, this time entitled the Sheriff of Stirling-Stella-ham. If there’s a thesp better equipped to play Captain Hook I’ve yet to see them, but although lacking the built-in patter of one of fairyland’s more familiar baddies, he’s still a prince amongst evil-doers. Encased in plummy tones, his ad-libs are frequently funnier than the script he’s diverging from.

His plan to mutilate, burn and eat the goodies in pursuit of absolute power is more dastardly than most festive shows would countenance, but how I wish McKnight allowed him to do something despicable before the finale so we could boo him with real venom beforehand. It’s more fun, and more of a thrill, to overcome a baddie who we’re a little scared of.

Still, there’s plenty of fun to be had as Dani Heron’s robbing Red Riding Hood holds up Merlina’s magic school, stealing her wand just before her and the Sherrif’s annual showdown. It’s alright thought, the sparkly bandit’s a social activist robbing the rich to feed…the frog prince, puss in boots, and other down on their luck fairytale folks brought to fabulous life by members of young cast. Soon enough she, and her freely mutating cockney accent, have joined Merlina, Hansel, and Gretel into the woods where the Sheriff lives in a Gingerbread House (because why not?), to get it back.

Standing in their way is Robin MacKenzie’s Big Bad Wolf, to my mind the standout in their year’s produciton, in his sparking cat suit and plush wolf’s head. He has the energy, presence and voice of a musical theatre star in the making. His slapstick encounters with his his boss, the Sherrif, offer some of the biggest laughs in the show, whilst his triumphant second act antheme, ‘No More Big Bad Wolf’ is a cracker worth bopping to.

Gags and Panto formalities

Songs aside, Weans in the Wood is a gag lover’s idea of heaven. McAlpine is an absolute machine on the front, the fart jokes literally bursting out of her along with a slew of puns, sassy wisecracks, and even a knock-knock joke. When she and McKnight happen upon the Gingerbread house, built out of familiar sweeties, those with dad joke or pun phobias should run for the exits immediately.

I’ll be honest, maybe I’m a bit old for McKnight and co’s brand of humour to leave me rolling in the aisles. It’s smart and delivered with super timing nevertheless, and without many kids in the audience on press night, I can’t be sure they wouldn’t find it a riot. If so, then good, they are the target audience, not I – I’m already a theatre addict.

Oh and for panto-purists, there are more than enough eruptions of “oh yes you are” and “oh no you’re not,” and even an “it’s behind you”—an increasingly endangered species in the modern pantosphere. That said, Jack’s wicked Sherriff could be more boo-able – for all his bluster, it’s quite near the end before he does anything all that wicked.

Playing with Expectations

Before he donned this year’s frocks, and wrote the gags, however, McKnight was busy placing friendship, and not romance, at the heart of his script this year. It’s a brave writer who sets romance aside in a panto, yet in having Hansel reject Gretel’s romantic advances, he generates plenty of tension to drive the plot in interesting directions. Die hard romantics should rest easy however, he tosses in a slew of last-minute pairings just so your tribe can go home happy.

“Standing in their way is Robin MacKenzie’s Big Bad Wolf, to my mind the standout in their year’s produciton, in his sparking cat suit and plush wolf’s head. He has the energy, presence and voice of a musical theatre star in the making.”

Swinney’s silver-tongued smartie is definitely plucked from the perkier, and clutzier end of the fictional heroine spectrum, so she does well to emboy a journey through some pretty toxic feelings before reaching a healthier frame of mind. When she chomps down on the Sheriff’s poisoned apple, she doesn’t so much fall under his spell, as sign on the dotted line. She isn’t the only player navigating both villainous and heroic aspects, but spoilers I shall not give.

All in all, McKnight makes a valiant and mostly successful attempt to create heroes and baddies with depth, and it just about comes off by the time of the soap-worthy revelations which call time on Jack’s evil-doing. There is certainly more plot and character development here than in your average 21st-century panto.

One wonders what a musical Christmas play from McKnight would look like if the expectations of the panto-norms were left in storage one year. Maybe we’ll find out one day? For this Christmas however, you’ll just have to make do with yet another cracking panto…oh yes you will!

Featured Image: JohnnyMcKnight_Cast_Credit Tommy Ga-Ken Wan