Rumpelstiltskin, Park Theatre, stage review: ‘A madcap portmanteau’

Tamoy Phipps is ‘particularly magical’. Photograph: Bill Knight

Charles Court Opera (CCO) is back again with another brilliant boutique panto by John Savournin, playing this year at Park Theatre.

Rumpelstiltskin is in fact a mashup of half a dozen fairytales with the original storylines radically reconfigured.

Even Larry the Downing Street cat has been elevated to character status (it must be all the cocaine about his digs).

Lucy Whitney and Emily Cairns as Hook and Smee. Photograph: Bill Knight

What we see is a madcap portmanteau that manages to exude just about any seasonal sentiment you could want.

CCO veterans Philip Lee and Emily Cairns are joined this year by Tamoy Phipps and Lucy Whitney in a versatile cast that manages an impressive range of costumes and accents.

Newcomer Phipps is particularly magical in her oddball renditions of traditional roles.

The emphasis in this year’s show is less on traditional pantomime slapstick and more on song and dance, with music by David Eaton.

The result is a notch up in terms of creativity, making it perhaps Charles Court Opera’s best panto yet.

Rumpelstiltskin runs until 14 January at Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, N4 3JP.

For more information, visit charlescourtopera.com or parktheatre.co.uk.