Rapunzel Untangled showed Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society is bursting with talented performers

Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society’s Halloween pantomime – Rapunzel Untangled – proved once again the wealth of comedy and musical talent that lies on our doorstep.

The show that finished its five-day run at the Strand Theatre on Sunday afternoon, featured a well-balanced mix of the Musical Society’s seasoned comedy performers and young up and coming talent from its Academy of Performing Arts.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable two-and-half hours of old fashioned slapstick fun, song and dance that left the audience young and old leaving for home in high spirits.

There was plenty of cast/audience interaction and the script was nicely sprinkled with comic references to topical issues ranging from the price of Taylor Swift tickets and Ryan Tubridy’s travails to the Enoch Burke saga.

The panto was set in an alternative fairytale Carrick-on-Suir with the town’s Clock Tower making a repeat appearance as a set prop.

Camille Walsh played the lead role of Rapunzel, who freed from the Clock Tower, goes to live with Mrs Browne and her very large brood of children in a shoe house.

She displayed a beautiful singing voice in her solo performances of Starting Now and Once Upon a Time. One of the show’s highlights was her performance of Break This Down alongside two other impressive young performers Áine Fitzgerald and Hannah Phelan, who played Alexa and Shazam.

One of the great joys of the panto was watching the song and dance performances of the Musical Society’s young Academy performers aged between 5 and mid-teens.

James Dowley showed great comic timing as the panto dame with his very Carrick Mrs Browne with Bobby Landers as Bob The Builder, Caolán Deehy-Power as Frank and Declan Smith-Robinson and Ger Breen as Stan & Ollie also providing much hilarity. Bobby Landers led the cast in a very enjoyable performance of Pat Shortt’s hit Jumbo Breakfast Roll song.

Tarryn Atlee as the ruthless landlord Mother Gothel and Maria Rayner as her child hating side kick Nanny McFlea very ably filled the role of the panto baddies, attracting plenty of boos from the audience.