3 Labours: A Hercules Panto follows the hero Hercules (or, as he insists, Heracles) on a trio of trying tasks all in an effort to marry his newly found love Meg. The audience helps Hercules overcome the vengeful goddess Hera’s obstacles: first battling the Nemean lion for his coat, then slaying the deadly Hydra, and finally outwitting Atlas to acquire a golden apple.
The production is an original pantomime from Bristol PantoSoc. Typical of the genre, there are a good number of comic lyric rewrites of various pop songs—these were both written and delivered with wit. One of the most distinct strengths of this production is the creative and eye-catching costume design. The vivid and inspired costumes and hair and make-up elevate the production, making it visually stunning.
The show is filled with fun and passionate performances. I particularly enjoyed the sock puppetry used to portray the multi-headed hydra and was thoroughly impressed by the synchronised performance of the two actors playing the creature. It is resourceful in its design and polished in its delivery—resulting in an exciting and amusing performance.
The plot is entertaining and fast-paced without being rushed. The show also makes good use of the classic trope of characters peeking through the curtain for comedic effect. The performance was fun and engaging for all audiences, and there were many humorous moments. But unfortunately, for the genre, it isn’t quite humorous enough—while naturally not every joke is going to land, there doesn’t seem to be quite enough of them to make up the shortfall. This comedic weakness also comes down to there being some repeated running gags that aren’t quite funny enough to merit repeating, especially in a show that isn’t long enough or full of enough jokes to justify their repetition—so while some are funny the first time, they become a weakness when they are repeated in place of what could have been an original joke.
Overall, I was impressed by 3 Labours. It is a fun, entertaining, and visually impressive adaptation of classic myths. It’s suited to all audiences, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun morning.
3 Labours: A Hercules Panto is running until 15 August at Venue 39, Space 2 at theSpace on the Mile
Buy tickets here.
Image by Bristol PantoSoc, provided to The Student as press material.
