Theatre Royal Windsor – until 9 January 2022
Reviewed by Joanna Huggett
5*****
The Theatre Royal Windsor Pantomime is back for 2021, much to the delight of the Windsorians in the audience who gave it a rousing welcome. The production was packed full of sparkle, drama and humour. The performance was an absolute joy. A very traditional spectacular pantomime for all the family. The anticipation of the audience was apparent even before the curtain went up, and from there on in the auditorium erupted.
Dotty Dame Trott, played by Steven Blakeley, and Simon Trott, played by Kevin Cruise, are brilliant past masters at evoking audience participation. Their timing and corny jokes had us in stitches, with cameos such as the Twelve days of Christmas, and a pot throwing sequence!
Jack Trott, played by Jay Worley, was charismatic with a good stage presence. He also had a good singing voice, as did his partner Jill played by Alice Fillary. Basil Brush was as always, a popular presence, loved by children and adults alike. Jemima Fleshcreep played by Anita Harris gave a convincing performance as the wicked witch. Fairy Daffodil played by Elizabeth Carter gave a pleasing performance and looked very beautiful in her sparkling costumes. The costumes in general were dazzling and there were spectacular scenes with a flying cow and the miraculous emergence of a giant beanstalk.
There were so many popular songs to be sung along too with the ensemble. All in all a first class show.