All for one...

When you think of pantomime, do you think Cinderella? Or Sleeping Beauty? Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White are always popular, too. They are timeless stories that audiences know and love.

But they're not the only stories that can stand the pantomime treatment, and sometimes, it's good to think outside the box and dare to do something a little different.

Something like “The Three Musketeers,” for instance. Alexandre Dumas’ classic tale of derring-do lends itself well to pantomime. We have a hero, d'Artagnan, and his lady love, Constance. There are dastardly villains in Richelieu and Milady. Add in characters such as the palace washerwoman, Fleur de Leese, d'Artagnan's valet, Billy Doo, and henchwomen (pretending to be men so they can get the jobs) called Mercy Boocoop and Sylvia Plate, and a swashbuckling pantomime is born.

And when the real Musketeers are sent to Egypt in a dastardly plot by Richelieu, leaving the royal family exposed to his tricks, it is left to a trio of girl singers calling themselves Charlie's Angels (because Charlie’s Aunts doesn't quite convey the right image) to help our heroes save the day.

And the Queen's necklace.

And the entente cordiale.

Even if, being French, none of them really feel very cordial towards the British at all.

And, for some reason, a cat and a mouse are fighting a duel… Touché, Monsieur le Pussycat!

You can find out more about The Three Musketeers, and read the script, here.

The poster is from the Bishop Perowne Theatre's production in 2017.