Opera House Manchester – until 7th January 2018. Reviewed by Julie Noller
5*****
Dick Whittington, the panto paved with gold, begins it’s festive run on the stage of Manchester’s Opera House until 7th January 2018. Panto the very best of family fun, yes and quite often naughty in a number of ways… this is no exception. Well done to the staff at the Opera House for getting in full panto Christmas spirit, flashing tiaras and glitter spray greeted us and, feeling the need, I might have just come home with a pink furry flashing tiara, be warned at a cost of £8 they aren’t cheap but they never are and I was prepared with my Christmas pennies.
I was surprised to be given a pair of 3D glasses, I did wonder what for, traditionally not something I would expect during panto. Dick Whittington is produced by leading panto producers Qdos Entertainment. Staring John Barrowman in the title role and 1980’s stars of entertainment The Krankies who really stole the show with their naughty shenanigans leading for a series of hilarious moments both on and off the stage for stars and audience alike.
Anyone who knows John Barrowman from shows like Doctor Who, Torchwood and his own entertainment show Tonight’s the Night will be aware that he is a true showman and loves every moment of the limelight. His fun loving personality and ability to laugh at the slightest gaff shines through and still has me smiling. I do think maybe it should be renamed as “Dick Whittington the Musical” for there was plenty of singing and dancing. Lauren Hampton as Alice and Jacqueline Hughes as The Spirit of Bow Bells, were magnificent, wow what voices and I’m sure there are a few little girls waking up today (or little boys) feeling the love for these two fabulous characters. Dick first graces us with his presence by showing off his Manchester accent, there’s more than a hint of his famous Glaswegian lilt but as he laughs and relaxes the audience he greets us with the three words he can say well ‘ey up chuck’ to which we all shout back ‘ey up Dick’.
The boo, hiss moments come thick and fast when King Rat (Phil Corbitt) appears, nasty and smelly he sets up Dick so his love Alice turns her back on him. When Dick asks the audience what should he do with King Rat once defeated and captured, ‘kill him’ shouts the audiences younger members, cue John Barrowman breaking into giggles and asking the same question three times before stating ‘we need him tomorrow’. You’ll be pleased to know he was banished to life in the sewers. Local boy Ryan Kayode got massive shouts and cheers as Tommy the cat, showing John Barrowman how you get the accent right, with local dialect that has Dick stating ‘I don’t speak that language’ and ‘yeah what he says’ . Kage Douglas makes up the small cast as Sultan Vinegar brother of Sultan Pepper with his many wives ‘but that’s Bigamy’ declares Dick ‘oh it’s very big of me’ replies Sultan just one of the many smutty one liners you would expect from Panto.
The Krankies, I remember the days when as a child I discovered Jimmy wasn’t really a young boy but really a small woman, now aged seventy, I am in awe of a double act who have lasted the test of time and appear to be having the best party up on stage, I want to belong to their gang. Janette has been known so long as Wee Jimmy that her character slipped in and out with ease and they played the clowns so well that you can see the years of experience of life on stage shine through. There’s more one liners than a stand up comedy show, it’s panto that Great British tradition that we all love at Christmas time.
I can’t think of many seventy year old’s who would be happy to be thrown around the way Janette is, I know I would be broken. I think come morning I may just wake up feeling the love for Wee Jimmy. Janette quite possibly is just the sixth Spice Girl and when she breaks into song for Picking on Me, well the faces she pulls just melts the audience.
As is always the case with panto then you have to listen out for the ad-libs and they came thick and fast although I believe it’s quite a skill to have the audience wondering if they are scripted bluffs and gaffs or true slip ups. One of my favourte we shall call the great trumpet fiasco, firstly the trumpet magically plays before it touches Jimmys lips and then they lose the trumpet in a bed, cue frantic searching, giggles from stage, sticking doors, John Barrowman needing to get his nose fixed, Ian Kankie quickly throwing in a rescue line. Sounds caotic? Yup isn’t that the joy of panto. We found out what the 3D glasses were for after the interval, wow what a great addition I heard screams,I watched people duck but it was thoroughly enjoyed by young and old alike. I won’t spoil it for you let’s keep the suspense and say it’s a wonderful underwater adventure. I loved the giant Rudolph who rescued Dick and brought him to London with his red flashing nose and blinking eyes, I wanted to reach out and pat him. I don’t feel the same love for the giant shark though, he nearly ate poor wee Jimmy and reminded me of watching Jaws.
Dick Whittington the boy who searched for streets paved with gold and grew up to be Lord Mayor of London. It’s a tale we all know and love. This one includes plenty of sing a longs including a Village People medley. It is the perfect antidote to dark, cold winter nights that are filled with snow and ice. A great light entertainment break from Christmas shopping, the drag of Christmas holidays, finishing the roller coaster New Year with a show that doesn’t ask you to think too much, has you laughing as much at the mistakes as at the genuine lines. Just don’t forget to don your flashing tiara.