BFCP brings wizardry to Oz!
Blackpool and Fylde Children’s Pantomime CIC (BCFP) recently delivered its seventh, and most ambitious, production to date with an all-singing, all-dancing take on the classic tale, The Wizard of Oz.
Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum, which was originally titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the hugely successful story was played out in a Broadway musical adaptation in 1902, before achieving iconic status with the 1939 Hollywood film.
Fast forward to 2023 and Blackpool Grand Theatre was the chosen venue for the BFCP crew, who once again stepped up a gear with its use of LED screens, motion graphics and the introduction of a live band.
But it was the incredible local talent who were the stars of this production. From the very smallest and inexperienced performer, to the most polished teenage veteran, the energy, commitment and determination to deliver was evident across the board.
As with every stage production, the importance of the ‘dame’ is vital, and Theo Heavyside filled those big (and high) shoes with aplomb as Aunt Em and Belinda The Good. In a role that was generally the forte of Bailey Fieldsend, who is now plying his trade with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Heavyside’s impeccable ability to induce laughter from a crowd served the young thespian well and was a perfect comedic foil to Amileigh O’Hagan’s wholesome portrayal of Dorothy.
In a show where performances were so good, it was hard to pick a standout, but Flynn Baistow’s dual turn as farmhand Hickory and Scarecrow was it. Bumping around the stage like an Olympic wrestler with the inch-perfect timing of a ballet dancer, the young star had the crowd in the palm of his straw hand, and completed the task of ensuring audience participated when the show warranted it with an expertise that belied his young years. Yeehaw, Scarecrow!
The visual feast was, of course, complemented by an array of carefully choreographed dances that justified months of practice and hard work on both the parts of the cast and staff. The ‘aww’ factor that was induced by the various groups quickly turned into expressions of ‘wow’.
And what is a musical without music! BCFP also ensured that part of the production was as brilliant as the acting and dancing was. Classics like Somewhere Over The Rainbow and Oklahoma were joined by Pop classic, Go West, and the awe-inspiring power ballad, This Is Me.
If there is only one negative with this production, it will be trying to eclipse it with the next. But with Amie Rutherford, her team, and the wealth of talent in her group, you’d never bet against it.
