Review: THE SCOUSE DICK WHITTINGTON, Liverpool's Royal Court

It’s that time of year - and Liverpool’s Royal Court are back with their latest festive production, The Scouse Dick Whittington.

Written by Kevin Fearon and directed by Mark Chatterton, the story follows Dick as he sets out on an adventure to seek buried treasure and stop King Rat from taking over the city. But does he succeed? Well, there are no spoilers here, but with some cheeky jokes, non-stop musical numbers and a hilarious scene performed entirely with puppets, this is another brilliant Liverpool’s Royal Court take on a fairytale classic.

Although there are times when the plot seems to become a little lost along the way, the cast’s energetic performances are incredibly fun to watch and keep the pace of the story moving well from scene to scene.

Act two is where the production really lands its stand-out moments however, with a quick succession of scenes that pay homage to eighties music icons. Last year’s production of Scouse Jack and The Beanstalk set the bar high when it recreated A-Ha’s "Take On Me" - with The Scouse Dick Whittington following in its footsteps to give us another nostalgic treat that had me cheering for more.

I won’t reveal the iconic music video that the cast perform, but everything from the costumes, to the scenery and characters from the video are cleverly recreated from start to finish. Adam McCoy, who is highly enjoyable to watch throughout as the titular character Dick, also shone in this scene as he delivered the musical number perfectly. It’s a must see moment.

Speaking of music, Liverpool’s Royal Court festive shows are well-known for their musical numbers and this year is no exception. Watching Scouse Dick Whittington felt like stepping inside a real-life jukebox. There’s something for everyone in the song choices, whether you love your rock music (yes, I was singing at the top of my voice to Bon Jovi’s "Living on a Prayer" at the end of act one), or whether you love your disco classics, romantic ballads or modern pop hits.

The cast’s harmonies are flawless in every ensemble number too, particularly act two’s renditions of "Here I Go Again", where Jamie Clarke’s vocals as Cat blended beautifully with Adam McCoy’s. Emma-Grace Arends, Emma Bispham and Paige Fenlon’s performances as the Ratette trio were stunning, particularly during songs like "Club Tropicana" and "Mr Bigstuff". Meanwhile, Hayley Sheen’s rendition of Celine Dion’s "My Heart Will Go On" was met with a huge round of applause from the audience, and rightly so, as it is phenomenal. Hayley’s vocal’s never fail to impress and tonight, she left me in awe once again as the Mayor’s daughter Alice.

A special mention should also be given to the outstanding Royal Court band - Ben Gladwin, Greg Joy, Chris Nicholls and Mike Woodvine - whose musicianship was a joy to listen to. It is lovely to see the band onstage throughout the entire production as well, with the members incorporated into the story for some comedy moments too.

Speaking of which, as you would expect from a Liverpool’s Royal Court Christmas Show, there are plenty of hilarious moments in The Scouse Dick Whittington.

Liam Tobin and Lindzi Germain as Bradley Fitzwarren and Holly Head had perfect timing in their seventies themed cake-baking sketch and sing-along in act one, with amusing plays on words and lots of physical comedy. As a duo they have brilliant chemistry and you can feel the amount of fun they are having on the stage in that moment, which made you have fun too.

Of course, no Liverpool’s Royal Court festive show would be complete without Andrew Schofield, who has delighted audiences as many villains throughout the years. This year he is the mischievous King Rat. Schofield once again stole the show with his quick, dry-witted vocal delivery and amusing facial reactions that left you roaring with laughter. His pantomime villain also utilised Olivia Du Monceau’s gorgeously designed set well, as he popped up behind doors and advent calendar windows when you least expected it - making his character even more scary.

Du Monceau’s set also seamlessly transported you to each location in the story, as the Liverpool’s Royal Court’s historic revolve stage - which is one of the largest revolve stages outside of London - moved to reveal incredible sets of King Rat’s sewer lair, a ship at sea and many more locations throughout.

Adding a little extra magic to the production was Jamie Jenkin’s video design, which brought to life King Rat’s hidden cameras as the villain plotted his evil scheme. Combined with excellent slow motion choreography by Movement Director Lucy Thatcher in the final battle between Dick and King Rat and a hilarious puppet montage in act two, it is a well-thought out production that combines lots of elements to effectively bring the fairytale to life.

With lots of fun and plenty of laughs, The Scouse Dick Whittington is a feel-good, festive hit.

The Scouse Dick Whittington is at Liverpool's Royal Court until 20 January 2024

Photo Credits: Jason Roberts Photography

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