Robinson Crusoe and his Maa Everyman Palace
`Robin and Crusoe!" yelled the six-year old behind me at the Everyman Palace who, apart from the title, knew everything there was to know about the script for this year's pantomime presentation by the Cork Academy of Dramatic Art and the Everyman Company.
Yelling is part of the pantomime experience although there isn't always so much of it on stage as in this performance of Robin- son Crusoe and his Maa, directed by Catherine Mahon Buckley. Subtlety is not part of the CADA style; energy is the key, and even though the production needs to be pruned from the three hours of its opening night, there is no lack of verve and vivacity from an unflagging cast.
Ian McGuirk as Robinson, Kieran FitzGerald as Blackpatch and Jean Elliot as Rosie set the tempo with whole-hearted commitment. Senior and junior choruses match that professionalism, and although the body mikes should be less obvious, the junior singers provide several moments of absolute enchantment.
The costumes by Patricia Mahon contribute significantly to the impact of some of these routines and Ray Casey's lighting enhances the sets by Catherine Mulvihill. And the Beavers and Cubs from all over Cork who formed most of the first-night (and very well-behaved) audience loved every minute, even though the six-year old behind me could have improved on the script - and did, when the need arose. But that's panto.