Odyssey: A Heroic Pantomime – Jermyn Street Theatre, London

Writer and Director: John Savournin

Music, Lyrics and Musical Direction: David Eaton

The Charles Court Opera have a history of presenting unusual stories in the format of pantomime and this year they’ve brought The Odyssey to the Jermyn Street Theatre.

Presented with apologies to Homer, it’s not quite the Odyssey as usually portrayed. Odysseus is trapped on Circe’s island and it’s up to his queen, Penelope, to launch on her own epic quest to save him. She’ll encounter a cyclops, Medusa and the terrifying Cilla and Charybdis – with a few surprises.

Performed by an opera company, it leans heavily into the singing talents of its performers. There are many popular songs featured throughout, all of them with suitably silly and tongue-twisting new lyrics. Every time the music starts, something daft and beautifully sung is about to begin. The choreography isn’t bad either, full of movement and gesture, and the stage is rarely static.

The script is heaving with bad puns, often flying one after the other and causing waves of groans. Every possible reference to triangles, falafel and Greek philosophers is name-checked or played upon. The audience is encouraged to boo, to cheer and to repeat a rather long, complicated rhyme that they can’t always remember.

The costumes are scrappy and silly, with the highlight being Medusa, who looks like a particularly low-rent Doctor Who monster. Poseidon wears a fisherman’s cap, Dionysus has cups fixed to his head and Cerberus would make a very good costume for a dress-up day.

Rosie Strobel is a particularly good villain in Circe. Resplendent in purple and gold, she delights in turning those who cross her into pigs. Her exaggerated movements and voice are reminiscent of Ursula in the Disney version of The Little Mermaid, and she expresses the same villainous glee. Tamoy Phipps as Hermes evokes the most sympathy as a God that never quite achieves what she wants to. Meriel Cunningham is a heroic leader, while Amy J Payne and Emily Cairns have a surprisingly sweet romance. Each performer gets to play a number of roles, and they bring enthusiastic life to all.

While Odyssey: A Heroic Pantomime, is a show children will enjoy – there’s plenty of songs, silliness and a farting horse – it’s not really aimed at them. Despite a few modern songs, most of the music, references and even sound effects are taken from the late eighties and early nineties. There are references to Michael Fish and the Great Storm of 1987, there are sound effects from Noel’s House Party, and one song even begins with the caveat that no one under thirty will recognise it. Most of the cast seem too young to understand half the references included in the play.

That leads to a slightly odd tone to the piece. It’s a pantomime for adults, but not an ‘adult’ pantomime. Beyond some double-entendres, everything is suitable for children but not particularly aimed at them. All the ‘it’s behind you’ and ‘Are you having fun?’ call and responses are not for children in the audience but for adults wanting to feel like children. This is not a detriment to Odyssey: A Heroic Pantomime, and it gives it a unique flavour. This is a show perfect for an adult older than thirty, who remembers owning a troll doll but also wants to laugh at Aristophanes references.

Runs until 31 December 2023