My husband and I have really fond memories of watching pantomimes at Christmas time as children and couldn’t wait to take our boys to see one this year. So we were absolutely thrilled when we were invited to go to the Hall for Cornwall in Truro and watch their brilliant new performance of Treasure Island last week.
Treasure Island has a very Cornish vibe – Jim Lad, his mum and their pet Chough have fallen on hard times when a treasure map is handed to them… If they can find a way to get to the island and find the treasure, maybe then all their problems will be solved? Well, unless Long John Silver played by Edward Rowe gets hold of the treasure map first.
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Treasure Island was so much fun to watch, it had a brilliant mix of humour, songs and dancing – it even had a cameo from Poldark! There was a talking parrot, a pirate crew and even a pirate’s curse. The cast member’s performances were full of energy throughout and my boys had a lot of fun joining in with the requisite ‘boos’ and calls of ‘it’s behind you.’ They also loved it when the cast asked the audience questions and gave out sweets!
There were so many jokes, (several with Cornish references), and comedy moments that we were all laughing out loud throughout the show. There was also a huge variety of songs to cater for audience members of all ages – there’s a song for every decade going back to the 1950’s. By the end of the show, Treasure Island had everyone up out of their seats dancing along.
Treasure Island was also full of surprises, from the clever set design to the falling coconuts it was packed with unexpected moments. I would highly recommend Treasure Island for any families looking to go and watch a pantomime this winter or who just want an afternoon or evening out together. It was such a fun, family friendly show and is absolutely perfect for the festive season.
Treasure Island will be on at Hall for Cornwall until the end of December 2022. There are still some tickets available to buy – they can be booked here: https://hallforcornwall.co.uk/playhouse-tickets-shows/treasure-island/book
Hall for Cornwall is a lovely venue, it was recently renovated and now has three tiered levels in the auditorium. It also has two places to buy food and drinks – the Playhouse Bar is on the side accessed from Boscowen Street and the Green House Café is on the other side accessed from the Quay. I took a look at the programme when I was waiting in a queue to buy hot chocolates and they have a brilliant line up of shows coming in 2023 from shows for kids to musical performances, sing-a-longs and Shakespeare.
Our tickets were complimentary but all views and opinions are my own.
A mum of two, Naomi Jones is a freelance editor and author of several acclaimed picture books including The Perfect Fit, One More Try, The Odd Fish and How to Catch a Rainbow.
A mum of two, Naomi Jones spent eight years working for Children’s Publishers in London and now works as a freelance writer, editor and children’s publishing professional.