Review: NAPOLEON: UN PETIT PANTOMIME, Jermyn Street Theatre

“It’s time to Bonaparty!”

Written and directed by John Savournin and David Eaton, Napoleon: Un Petit Pantomime is a holiday show that promises “historic hilarity” as we follow Napoleon on his quest to defeat the English, particularly the Duke of Wellington. This is the second time Charles Court Opera has collaborated with Jermyn Street Theatre to create a pantomime, the first being Odyssey: A Heroic Pantomime last year. 

For those worried that the pantomime is going to be more serious, based on the subject matter, not to fear - we are immediately greeted by French soldiers wielding baguettes running onto the stage, singing about Napoleon’s greatness. And for those concerned about historical accuracy, this might not be the show for you. A professor makes a brief appearance as a puppet, beginning to fact-check the story but quickly being shot by Napoleon, who promises the audience that 

Matthew Kellett stars as the titular character, making Napoleon the villain of the story. Every time Napoleon enters the stage, villainous music is played and the lights turn green, signalling for the audience to boo, which Kellett eats up. Even though he doesn’t have many solo numbers, he does an excellent job in them. He also takes on the role of the pantomime dame in one scene, becoming “Josephine” as one of his disguises. 

We are then introduced to the “hero” of the pantomime, King George III, played by Elliot Broadfoot. From our first introduction to him as the king in a delightful parody of Queen’s “I Want to Break Free” to his final moments, Broadfoot is a star, giving incredible vocal performances while showing off his comedic chops as an actor. Broadfoot is in charge of the most “pantomimey” aspects of the show, including a call and response between King George III and the audience, with Broadfoot saying, “I fear I’ve lost the royal plot!” And the audience responding with, “You’ve not lost the plot, the plot’s all in a knot.”

Along with our main hero and villain, we are introduced to other characters in the story. On the side of King George III, we have the Duke of Wellington (Jennie Jacobs), who secretly dreams of giving up the military lifestyle and starting a cow farm - yes, there are many beef wellington puns. The two are joined by Amy J Payne as Georgina, George’s daughter, a strong feminist who disguises herself as a man in order to join her father and Wellington on their quest to defeat Napoleon. Aiding Napoleon we have Rosie Strobel as the ghost of Marie Antoinette, who appears to be helping the man but may have her own interests at heart.

The set, designed by Lucy Fowler, is simple yet incredibly effective. There are two doors, one with the initials of King George III and another with those of Napoleon. There is a clever use of frames that can have the pictures inside of them changed, helping establish the location that the characters are at. The costumes, also designed by Fowler, are bright and perfect for the pantomime, being silly while still showing the audience who’s who. I particularly love the costumes for Napoleon, especially his coat which has green mixed in with it, helping to illustrate him as the villain of the story. 

Napoleon: Un Petit Pantomime truly shines when it is embracing its pantomime traits, from audience participation to silly jokes. My favourite running gag was one of the disguised Georgina being called a number of “George” names including George Michael and George Orwell. I also enjoyed the jokes based on French words, which make perfect sense when discussing a French icon. Most of the highlights of the show are in its parody songs, which include Bonnie Tylers “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” (sung by Marie Antoinette and a chorus of severed heads) and “Downtown,” now with lyrics focused on the topics of “beef pie.” The best number is “Up Where We Belong,” which is turned into a great duet between Wellington and Georgie. 

While the show is enjoyable and the actors go above and beyond in their performances, there are some drawbacks that affect the pantomime as a whole. There are several times when the actors break so much that they have to go back and repeat lines, which affects the show. The plot is also a bit strange and overcomplicated, especially the focus on “The Black Prince’s Ruby.” There was more potential to make the pantomime sillier, as shown by the physical comedy towards the end of the show, which I would have loved to see more of.

There also appeared to be a few technical issues, with quite a bit of microphone feedback during the musical numbers and the sound sometimes growing so loud it became difficult to understand the lyrics of the songs. And, to be incredibly nitpicky, there is much talk of the “right hand” of Nelson, but the prop used is actually that of a left hand. 

Ultimately, Napoleon: Un Petit Pantomime is a fun and unique pantomime for those looking for something a little more . . . Je ne sais quoi. The cast all give fantastic performances, particularly during the songs, able to give a high-level performance while still keeping things silly - this is still a pantomime, after all!

Napoleon: Un Petit Pantomime runs until 5 January 2025 at Jermyn Street Theatre.

Photo Credit: Alex Brenner

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