Author: FairyPoweredProductions

Wilton’s Music Hall – until 4 January 2024

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Potted Panto returns to Wilton’s Music Hall for a second Christmas season of joyful silliness and fun packing 6 pantos (and A Christmas Carol) into 80 minutes.

Writers Daniel Clarkson, Jefferson Turner and Richard Hurst give Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Aladdin the Potted treatment, and Clarkson and Turner perform the classic tales with the support of Sammy Johnson and Marie-Claire Wood.

Clarkson and Turner are a well-established comedy duo, and their onstage relationship is wonderful, with Turner doggedly persevering and trying to keep Clarkson’s manchild persona on track with the script. This allows lots of opportunities for Turner to patiently explain pantomime tropes and Clarkson to question the dodgier traditions. Clarkson bounds about like a puppy, interpreting directions with gleeful obtuseness and derailing every story in increasingly daft ways as Turner becomes more and more exasperated as Prince Charming and the Ugly Sisters steal the show.

The fast-paced mayhem is addictively silly, with the duo rushing on and off stage for quick changes (in Nicky Bunch’s fantastic costumes) and whizzing through the main plot points of each panto. Most of the gags land brilliantly, there is plenty of toilet humour for the kids and sarcastic jibes for the adults. Every panto needs audience participation and Potted Panto doesn’t disappoint with a brilliantly bonkers carriage ride sequence.

This is festive fun for the whole family – a fantastic feel-good romp that will delight everyone’s inner child.

Nottingham Theatre Royal – until Sunday 12 January 2025

Reviewed by Amy V Gathercole

3***

“Festive fun with some mayhem!”

This year’s panto at TRCH is flying off on a swashbuckling adventure to Neverland with Peter Pan and his friends.

The colourful and lively production is full of larger-than-life sets, with tons of bright colours and glitter found in the scenery and embellishing the array of imaginative costumes. It brings the well-known tale of the boy who wouldn’t grow up to life in a new way, with a vibrant mix of humour and music – with a sprinkle of magical pixie dust.

It’s around a decade since I’ve been to a panto and they’ve still got all the staples running in them. Funny celebs, double entendres galore and lots of classic audience participation from the classic ‘ Oh no he isn’t’ type lines to greeting certain cast members as they appear on stage, right through to parents being welcomed on stage to take part in embarrassing skits.

Taking a bit of a diversion from having a classic dame and instead here, much of the comedy comes from two of Captain Hook’s crew – Starkey (Paul Chuckle) and Smee (Steve Hewlett).

Steve and his ventriloquist act were the highlight of this panto for me, his timing was great, he really knows how to engage the audience – both old and young alike and he played off the other characters and actors brilliantly. There is one particular section where he and the Magical Merman play a dating game gag and musical cues and songs with Steve’s timing are just perfectly matched.

Loosely following the JM Barrie classic of Peter Pan and Disney favourite with familiar characters such as Peter Pan (Aiden Carson, his magical sidekick Tinker Bell (Kate Stewart) and the 3 Darling children – Wendy (Molly Farmer) and her brothers John (Matthew Allen) and Michael (Harley Butler).

Nottingham’s own Richard Windsor plays Captain Hook, taking on the role with gusto as the audience loudly boos and hisses as he arrives on stage and he clearly takes great pleasure in his dastardly villain role.

The role of the fabulous and fashionable Magical Merman is being played by Gok Wan, however, on this opening weekend the role was filled by the director and choreographer of the show, Alan Burkitt, as Gok was sadly ill. Alan did a great job as ‘the twin brother’ and the nature of the quick change actually added to the mayhem of the show.

The script was fun and as often goes with live theatre of this type, lines were occasionally missed and fluffed, but the team of professionals covered everything (mainly) in character and with support from the audience.

You’ll leave with a smile on your face, but there’s certainly more for older kids than the little ones here, as there’s a lot of adult content in the show, possibly a bit too much?

Musical numbers feature throughout , including new takes on catchy tunes like Taylor Swift’s popular Shake it Off. The ensemble cast’s performances left the audience tapping their feet and clapping along.

This year’s high-flying panto is in Nottingham until Sunday 12 January, letting you keep the magic running into the new year.

This year’s high-flying panto is in Nottingham until Sun 12 Jan, letting you keep the magic running into the new year.

You can secure tickets here https://trch.co.uk/whats-on/peter-pan/

Hall For Cornwall, Truro, Cornwall – until the 31st December 2024

Reviewed by Kerry Gilbert

5*****

Fee – Fi – Fo – Fum, a festive treat for Everyone!

Get ready for a giant pantomime fairytale extravaganza laced with Cornish spirit and all the festive fun you’d expect from Jack and the Beanstalk.  Starring the Kernow King himself Edward Rowe, who plays his bucket list role of Dame Trott alongside a cast of homegrown heroes and West End wonders.  Jack and the Beanstalk is perfect for children of all ages (grown – ups and grandparents!).

Written once again by Steve Marmion (Peter Pan, Treasure Island) and led by director and all round pantomime expert Joyce Branagh, they’ve reassembled the Cornwall Playhouse Productions team who brought you last year’s record-breaking smash Peter Pan.

Expect song and dance adventure as hero Jack (Patrick Dineen) his dear mum (Kernow King) and their beloved cow chuck caution (and magic beans) to the wind in a last ditch attempt to save their village from the wicked giant.  With songs you’ll know, a sack full of jokes, flying sweets, super-soakers, plenty of Cornish humour and more fairy infused fun than you can shake a beanstalk at, it’s time to set off on an unforgettable festive family feel good adventure. 

The atmosphere was lively, with everyone getting involved.  The hilarious 12 days of Christmas was undoubtedly a hit with the audience and my favourite part – with lyric changes to French men, Newquay lifeguards, Cornish pasties, 5 toilet rolls, Super-soakers (be prepared!) and a Penguin with a balloon!   Followed by a rendition of Trelawny (Anthem of Cornwall) led by Dame Trott with the adults in the audience singing proudly and loudly!   Some song lyrics were changed such as Moos like Jagga (the cow) which was very funny with the cow and cast dancing on stage!  There was lots of audience involvement which the children and adults absolutely loved, with a sing off singing the Cornish version of Heads, shoulders, knees and toes – Scone, Jam, cream on top, cream on top!  

The set design and costumes were truly fabulous, with the Giant standing at around 10 ft tall and the beanstalk rising from the stage, and Jack climbing it was remarkable.

No pantomime is complete without a wicked baddie, and Susannah Van Den Berg was excellent taking on the role of Judi Henchman.  Other Cornish cast members include, Gareth Cooper, Charlotte Rutherfoord, Aidan Nightingale and Colin Leggo.  The pantomime will also feature new talent Shen Leng Chow and Patrick Dineen, alongside West End talent Freya Karlettis and Jessica Manu. 

A truly heartwarming pantomime which will entertain and complete the Cornish Christmas – I’d highly recommend going to see this whilst you can!

Live Theatre Newcastle upon Tyne – until 22nd December 2024

Reviewed by Sandra Little

5*****

Blitzen on the Tyne was written by Danielle Slade in collaboration with pupils from three schools in the North East . This one hour performance describes itself as, “A wintry tales adventure for all the family,” and if you are looking for something different from the usual pantomime formula for children at this time of year, then this show could fit the bill.

The first characters we meet are Twinkletoes (Karen Traynor) and Head Elf ( Micky Cochrane) who are sorting presents ready for Santa to deliver. We then meet Blitzen ( also played by Karen Traynor) of Santa’s reindeer who is concerned about a lack of magic from the snow globe and encourages the audience to hug one another to create magic.

With the help of Blitzen, and some quite clever digital projections, we are transported toNewcastle where Blitzen meets a very grumpy Geordie pigeon called Jackie, ( also played by Micky Cochrane and a puppet). Jackie doesn’t believe in Christmas or magic. Classic Geordie fayre in the form of stottie and Gregg’s sausage rolls play their part in the story at this point.

As the story unfolds we learn of Jackie the pigeon’s difficulties in his past life and how this has impacted on his feelings. However, being as this is a Christmas story for young children, there is of course a happy ending and we are told that true magic is in your heart and comes from love, kindness and care and not a snow globe!

Although this wintry tale is by no means the most sophisticated performance you will ever witness it gained a warm response from a near full house who seemed to enjoy both the story and the audience participation that was included. The set is quite simple but good use is made of lighting and projections. Whilst costumes are by no means lavish, they are perfectly appropriate. The puppetry in the show is quite a novelty and adds a further dimension to the story. During the show we meet a puppet version of Jackie the pigeon and also Blitzen’s best friend Flake, a sparkly peach and white snow worm. Both puppets are voiced by Micky Cochrane.

If you are looking for a short piece of Christmas themed drama then Blitzen on the Tyne is definitely worth considering. With ticket prices of around £14, and £9 for children and concessions, Live Theatre is definitely offering good value for money.

Lichfield Garrick Theatre – until Sunday 5 January 2025

Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh

5*****

The New Old Friends have done it again with another feel good, smash hit production in full swing. In Christmas Present and Correct, Writer and director Feargus Woods Dunlop brings us the tale of Herbert Richards and his sister Dorothy, performer and writer, respectively, of the hit rural radio show ’The Cavalry’. All is well until the boss, Wyllis Guthrie, arrives unexpectedly, during the recording of the Christmas special, wanting to meet the cast of ‘The Cavalry’ and to make them an offer which could change the trajectory of the show forever. However, all is not what it seems. With the arrival of a stranger, the unravelling of some mysteries, the most beautiful love story and some truly hilarious moments, we have all the ingredients for a classic Christmas caper.

The stage consists of a beautifully designed radio studio with a recording booth and plexiglass. It also contains a visible recording desk with all the knobs and rotating recording tapes, wires and such. The stunning design by Heather Westwell, lighting by Tom Breakwell, sound design by Joseff Harris, and set build by Christopher Britton all combine to bring this delight to life. The small cast, consisting of the amazing Kirsty Cox, the brilliant Stuart Tavendale, the marvellous Rosie Coles and the sublime Mark Collier, work tirelessly and effortlessly to keep the narrative flowing. With nonstop entertainment, well thought-out humour ranging from visual gags, witty wordplay and the most hilarious quick change character roulette scenes performed by Stuart Tavendale, (I still can’t get my head around how he managed to remember it all) it was pure magic.

The beauty of this show is that there is something here for everyone: drama, mayhem and the most wonderful and unexpected romance. Throw in some slapstick, super sets, dodgy accents and some very interesting sound effects and you have a truly exceptional piece of feel-great entertainment. There is no better present I can think of receiving for Christmas. Be sure to catch this wonderful show.

York Theatre Royal – until Sunday 5th January 2025

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

4****

York Theatre Royal are once again working with the extremely successful Evolution Productions. Aladdin being the fifth pantomime that Evolution have produced for the theatre. Written by Paul Hendy and directed by Juliet Forster, it draws on one of the most re-told fairy tales of all time, but with a York twist.

I was lucky enough to watch Aladdin on press night with my three eager grandsons. Even before the show started my middle one declared it was the best day ever.

Straight from the off, starting with a couple of Black Eyed Peas songs, and the appearance of the baddie, Ivan Tobebooed (the returning Paul Hawkyard), plus the Spirit of the Ring (Evie Pickerill), it had us hooked and we knew a great night was ahead of us.

Set in The Shambles Souk Aladdin (Sario Solomon), and his cheeky brother Charlie (Tommy Carmichael) live with their mother Dame Dolly (resident Dame, Robin Simpson), who runs a joke shop. Aladdin thinks he’s in love with Princess Jasmine (Emily Tang), even though he has never met her. Obviously when they do meet it is love at first site, but things don’t go to plan with Tobebooed’s shenanigans impacting on their love story.

The staging was vibrant and added an extra layer to the storytelling. We had some fabulous costumes and props, which included elephants, a cow, a hare and many more. The magic carpet scene was a highlight of the show, a scene to behold, which included flying, acrobatics, it was truly magical.

The whole cast showcased their talents with their engaging characters, bringing the story to life. With the acting, singing and high energy dancing, with impressive choreography, they kept the audience captivated.

Pickerill is most noted for being a presenter on CBeebies, her she not only played the role of Spirit, she was also the Genie. She was fabulous, full of spark with a twinkle in her eye. Her switching of roles made for some great comedic moments. She was funny, could act and had a beautiful singing voice, a full package.

Solomon is charming as Aladdin, full of energy, bouncing around the stage. Aladdin and Jasmine make for a gorgeous couple, just what you want from a fairytale.

Once again Hawkyard relished his turn as the baddie, encouraging all the boos solicited from the audience. Breaking into his, what I can only presume, normal Yorkshire accent, in between his baddie voice, with intention I might add, was great to watch and listen to. Long may his evil run continue, even though we know he is really a teddy bear.

Six ensemble complete the rest of the cast, bringing their bursting energy to the stage. Rowan Armitt-Brewster also played the part of PC World, with some scene stealing moments. He was hilarious with his gift of physical comedy, it was a shame his role wasn’t more to the forefront. I was fortunate enough to see him in Around the World in 80 Days earlier this year, and I look forward to catching him on stage in the future.

Of course I must mention Robin Simpson. He never fails to deliver. The many outfits were stunning as usual, my favourite involved slinky’s, strategically placed. He is a great performer and interacts with the audience with such ease. His “victim” during the show I saw was Adam, who was somewhat reluctant at the start, but soon came out of his shell, and was brilliant in his unexpected role as the Dame’s suitor. I’m so pleased to say that Simpson will once again be the Dame for next year’s panto, Sleeping Beauty, tickets on sale now.

The first half was enjoyable, but it is the second half where the show really came alive, topped off with an delightful closing scene. One of our favourite parts of the show was the ghost bench scene, my lot were jumping up and down with excitement. We also loved the booing, so much so that my voice was croaky the next day.

Full of humour, music, dance, vibrant costumes and great performances. This is not quite your classical retelling of the beloved tale, but Aladdin is a delightful and magical theatrical experience, that transports the audience to a world of wonder. Suitable for both children and adults alike. Make sure you book tickets now, as they are selling well.

Darlington Hippodrome – until 31 December 2024

4****

It’s almost Christmas, so what better way to celebrate than a trip to the pantomime.

We joined the inhabitants of the land of Darlo, just before Princess Auroras 21st birthday. Aurora had a curse put on her at birth, by her evil aunt Carabosse who is desperate to be Queen. But the Spirit of Pantomime has thwarted her plans and destroyed all the spinning wheels, so Aurora can no longer prick her finger. However Carabosse tricks Prince Lee of Long Newton into giving Aurora a spinning wheel as a birthday present. But when Aurora pricks her finger, The Spirit of Pantomime puts Aurora to sleep until she receives her true loves kiss to wake her up.

Josh Benson as Muddles is the back bone of the show, hardly ever off the stage he brings so much fun and energy to every scene. Jamie Jones joins him as Nurse Nellie, showcasing an amazing array of fabulous outfits, all made by Jamie himself. Whilst he had more stage time this year, he was still underused. More Jamie next year please.

Prince Lee Mead showed off his stunning vocals, treating us to “Any Dream Will Do”, and also some duets with Stephanie Costi (Aurora). Su Pollard shone as Carabosse, fantastically evil but with a sensational pair of legs, I hope I look that good when I am 75 (she really can’t be 75!!!). And Olivia Foster- Browne makes sure we get a happy ending as the Spirit of Pantomime.

Scarlett Behl, Ben Carter, Natasha Fenn, Joseph Hasnaoui, Alice Lupton and Kasey Robinson make up the ensemble, moving seamlessly from dancing villagers to dancing demons and wedding guests. And the live band, Tim Hammond, Peter Brent, Tim Farmer and Ben Phillips are excellent instrumentalists. And a big shout out to the technical team for all the magic

Sleeping Beauty is a family favourite, full of daftness, jokes, wonky donkeys, audience participation (5 year old Ronnie was hilarious). Grab a ticket now for some festive family fun!

Civic Theatre, Rotherham – until 5th January 2025

Reviewed by Sophie Dodworth

3***

Rotherham Civic Theatre is feeling festive and getting in the Christmas spirit with its band of merry men. Join Robin Hood and his entourage to get festive this December and by doing so you will encounter all the usual pantomime delicacies that Imagine Theatre has in store for you and the family.

The show opens and you are transported into Sherwood Forest to follow the tale of Robin (Kieran Lynch), his men and his love interest Maid Marian (Alicia Belgarde). Things are not going too merrily in the Forest as the evil Sherriff of Nottingham (Bethan Searle) has raised taxes. Marian has run away into the forest with Peter and Penny (the Sheriffs niece and nephew) and Robin has to try to recruit a team of his men, to try save the day alongside him. Will they manage to save the day and get everyone smiling again…There are lots of your typical panto gags, innuendos from Little Jane, played by Neil Varu, and audience participation.

The first act is quite slow with a lot of dialog, which sometimes loses the attention span of the little people in the audience. But this does a rapid upturn in the second act starting off strongly and keeps the audience on their toes, with some regular scene changes and more musical numbers. The audience particularly loved the tricks and jokes during the haunted bedroom scene, when seemingly the ghosts were trying their hardest to get Little Jane when she was trying to get to sleep, great use of trap doors and spinning beds. Lots of laughs from the children and adults too in the auditorium.

Great performance from Phoebe Nixon playing the Fairy Faraway, consistent and professional all the way through. She also has a great ‘rhyme off’ with the Sherriff. Emily Vinnicombe plays Freya Tuck and has one of the standout performances on the stage. Comedic timing and charisma is all spot on. Belgarde has a well-trained, wonderful voice for musical theatre, although was let down in this particular performance by the low microphone levels at times. Lynch added some beautiful vocals in to the mix along with his playful charm.

Brilliant costumes, especially notable for the Little Jane with many flamboyant dame changes. Well done to the creative Imagine Theatre team for delivering.

A fun-filled, gags-a-plenty, festive cracker suitable for the entire family.

The Met, Bury – until 26th December 2024

Reviewed by Cathy Crabb

5*****

Do panto villains just need love? Big Tiny gives a great message to kids- sometimes kindness can change a person. But they let us have a good ole panto time before that happens.

The Big Tiny Production Company is well established now, giving high quality and fair priced panto to the northwest with excellent production value and progressively written stories. I really enjoyed this take on Rumpelstiltskin and thanks to director Will Cousins there are some terrifying, cute and eye-popping treats for the audience.

Lieblingsberg is a town where love is lacking as whimsical Cupid (Laura Wilson) can’t be arsed visiting. Prince Dierdrick (Josh Radcliffe) falls for Maria (Sophie Trueman) regardless of the fact he has to marry royalty. Alas, Maria’s already under the influence of nasty little Rumpelstiltskin (Charlie Hodgkinson). Ashen looking Rumple resided in a dark, hollow tree, gnashing his teeth, rubbing his hands and keeping his jazz shoes impeccable, until the moment when Maria was conned into saying his name three times. He then offers her anything she wants, with terms and conditions. Maria is blinded by her desire to snag this fit rich lad, so she agrees to let Rumple help her hoodwink the Prince. Rumple spins gold for her and she gives over her first born to him. And we the audience clap, shout boo and sing our way through this high peril with Badges (Toby West) and Winnie the Warden (Andrew Truluck) helping us along the way.

I love the sound of kids screaming and shouting in the theatre, just being kids having a great time. This, in turn, encourages adults to let themselves go. There’s nothing quite like panto for allowing break free of our pass-agg shell, and boo and hiss at life’s cruelty and injustice. Also, there’s some funny sausage jokes. At this performance, they were aimed at Winnie the Warden’s love interest on the front row, who was given a badge saying ‘I love sausage’ to wear in his hometown of Wigan.

Writer Ben Richards has also treated the audience to a lot of breaking character moments for the actors, and this landed particularly well on the press night. ‘You’re 27,’ says Cupid to Prince Dierdrick ‘and your agent is still putting you up for the Prince roles?’ I know Josh’s lovely agent Rachel who was there at this performance, on her 3rd visit to 12 clients pantos this year across the country! I was utterly delighted by these moments. And also loved the bits where Winnie couldn’t keep her wig on.

Even though the fiend Rumpelstiltskin takes Maria and Dierdrick’s baby, he makes a very good point that he had saved a dog, gave her the life she wanted and only took what was agreed. It was actually quite moving when Maria sang True Colours to Rumpelstiltskin and changed him for the better. And I’m sure will be equally as moving when Maria is up in front of Lieblingsberg’s child protection board. Though I imagine that Prince Dierdrick will get away with his part in the whole thing. But Maria forgets all about it when Rumple retrieves the baby by fighting off the real monster- a huge and terrifying beast that takes children and destroys them. We all cheered that the day was saved by the one we least expected.

I had the most wonderful evening. And I couldn’t see a single person, young or old in the audience who wasn’t having the best time as well. I must make a point to come and see a Big Tiny panto every year.

The Rose Theatre Kingston-on-Thames  – until Saturday 5 January 2025

Reviewed by Louise Ford

5*****

The pleasure’s all mine.

This year’s offering at the Rose is a much gentler show than your traditional pantomime. Oh yes it is! Gone are the brash colours, the slap stick, the double entendres and the general chaos that usually accompanies your annual pantomime. In its place is a muted tableau of costumes and sets (Anisha Fields), a gentle story with a twist and some  magical music that doesn’t rely on rehashing pop songs. Having said that it does still contain some of the essential pantomime components rousing songs that got the audience clapping along, comedy and jokes, a villain, a hero and a good sprinkle of Christmas magic. There was also an enchanted puppet stag (Matthew Forbes. puppetry director) which at times stole the show.

Whilst the production has four adults in the main roles the show really belongs to the children and young adults in the cast. There are 38 young people from local communities and the Rose Youth Theatre. At the production I saw it was team blue, they were all excellent; word perfect and gaining confidence and presence as the show unfolded.

The show is a retelling of the legendary figure Robin Hood by Chris Bush and music by Matt Winkworth and is directed by Elin Schofield. The adult members of the cast all play musical instruments to accompany the songs which adds another dimension to the story and added impact to the quieter moments on stage. The titular role is played by Matthew Ganley (Robin Hood) a hero with a social conscience. The gags about trickle down economics and anarcho communists are great. Behind every hero is a strong woman, in this case the brains behind the bow is Maid Marian (Emma Manton). The story teller and musical link is Much (Jodie Cuaresma). The villain of the piece, played in Henry VIII style is the Sheffield Wednesday, sorry I mean Sheriff of Nottingham (Andrew Whitehead). One thing I really liked was the proper Nottingham accents adopted by Robin and Marion. Sadly no ayup me ducks just solid Nottingham accents! Well done Josh Mathieson.

Back to the story. It’s nearly Christmas and the village children are making home made gifts and dreaming about the annual Christmas feast given by the Sheriff. The chance to eat their fill of swans beaks and all manner of delicacies and there could be left overs, whatever they may be. Little do they know that there’s a new Sheriff in town. He’s been moved to the provinces and he isn’t too happy with his new job or location, even if it is a promotion . He’s out to impress his royal visitors so he needs to clean up the forest and fill his coffers. He’s also doing a spot of redecorating in the castle, a Medieval Farrow and Ball paint chart.

The stage is set for a battle of wits and arrows, as Robin and the gang look to thwart the Sheriff’s plans and bring festive joy to all. A great evening’s entertainment for all ages.