Treasure Island (starring Leah Barniville)

While I was in Ireland to see Éabha's Christmas concert, I saw Leah Barniville in "Treasure Island" at The Helix before flying back home for Christmas. It was my first time seeing a pantomime (panto) and I enjoyed it more than I was expecting.

The Helix lobby was heavily-decorated for Christmas.

For those unfamiliar, a panto is essentially a comedy with audience interaction. The main character, played by Leah Barnaville, made a wish to have more adventure in her life and got more than she bargained for as she was thrust into a swashbuckling fantasy. Her character had to thwart the plans of the evil pirate captain Long John Silver. The plot was secondary to the characters and the vibe of the experience. There was a healthy does of slapstick and random dance break segments. The actors frequently broke the 4th wall (broke character to interact with the audience).

The captain Silver character was a hilarious evil parody of Jack Sparrow. The fairy godmother was also really funny.

The audience got into the show. The kids were waving their glow sticks, booing the bad guys, and (unfortunately) talked with their parents throughout most of the show. It was all part of the experience though and it didn't significantly affect my enjoyment of the production.

Leah sang a little bit, although she didn't get to exercise the full capabilities of her voice. Perhaps one day the timing will work out and I'll be able to attend one of her solo concerts in person.

Overall, this exceeded my expectations and my first panto experience was positive.

After the show, I got to meet Leah at the stage door! That was my first time meeting her. She spent a few minutes chatting with me and took a photo.

The next morning, I was back in the air to fly home for Christmas.

Treasure Island was my 31st and final live performance attended in 2023. For a year that started without a Celtic Woman spring tour, I somehow managed to see more shows than ever. 🤣