Obviously different theatre can entertain in different ways. Some of it is funny. Some dramatic. Some stand out for dancing. Others incredible singing. All that is great but it’s really nice when a piece of theatre delivers all of those attributes in one show. Basically I leave the theater having been thoroughly entertained. Such was my experience seeing Hopebox Theatre’s new production of The Scarlet Pimpernel. It’s a blast that I highly recommend.

I give this recommendation and yet I admit the show itself for The Scarlet Pimpernel I think is pretty mediocre. It’s not bad but it drags out and the songs are mostly forgettable. Fortunately, the team at Hopebox led by directors Becca Rhodes and Spencer Bawden have taken flawed material and made it as fun and energetic as possible. It’s not an easy task they have done and I admire them for it!

I saw the Teal cast and it is uniformly strong. Spencer Ford is charming and sweet as Percy in the lead. Megan Derrick could be more consistent with her accent but she has a beautiful singing voice as Marguerite and our team of fluffy men or ‘Percy’s Bounders’ are all a hoot to watch. Braden Hull also gives just enough irritation at Percy to make Chauvelin entertaining.

The technical aspects of the production are also strong although I have noticed a little more minimalism at Hopebox lately. I’m sure budgets have been cut this year (the priority is to fundraise for their Hopebox recipient so I get that.) It’s just productions like last year’s Oliver! were so rich and layered that a simpler set like we had here stands out. The most impressive aspect was the choreography by Wyatt Welch. Again they have a small space and a large cast but they keep everyone moving and dancing. I particularly admired the party scene where Marguerite is trying to get clues while the ensemble is ballroom dancing. There’s also a really fun sword fight at the end where Marguerite even gets a bit of the action.

Of course, Hopebox is not just a show but a community service project where one can help them fundraise for their recipient fighting cancer. It’s a wonderful mission but I appreciate they don’t lean on that mission to excuse poor shows. They use it as a catalyst to be the best they can be and that’s certainly the case with The Scarlet Pimpernel. It’s a great night of community theatre and worthy of your time. Sink me but it’s a terrific show! It is playing through November 1st and tickets can be purchased here.

The Scarlet Pimpernel has music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics and book by Nan Knighton based on the novel by Baroness Orczy. It debuted on Broadway in 1997 and ran for 772 performances.

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