Hull New Theatre – until 31st December 2024
Reviewed by Dawn Bennett
5*****
Hull New Theatres and Crossroad Pantomimes are always brilliant but I think that this year they have out done themselves. From start to finish it kept the audience, young and old, laughing, cheering, booing and singing along!
Dame Betty Barnum (Jack Land Noble) runs Barnum’s circus along with their daughter Goldilocks (Sheri Lineham) they really need a headline act for the circus and are having a lot of trouble finding one. Joey, the clown (Neil Hurst) offers to do his levitation act as he wants to impress Goldilocks, who he is secretly in love with, but they really want a big opening number instead. Things get worse when Baron Von Bolshoi (Brendan Cole) arrives with his circus, the Baron is awful and thinks animals should be locked up in chains and cages! Betty, Goldilocks and Joey go into the woods and come across a house, and as the story goes, they find porridge that is too hot, a bed just right and a chair too small. But what they don’t expect to find is three bears that can talk! Mummy Bear (Lauren Bimson), Daddy Bear (Jonny Weston) and Baby Bear (Jessica Daugirda) who can not only talk but they can sing and dance! Baron Von Bolshoi soon hears about the bears and really wants them for his circus. Does the Baron capture the three Bears? Does Joey get together with his true love? Well, I really don’t want to spoil the fun so you’ll have to go and watch!
This is a magnificent show, the double act between Neil Hurst (panto, in Hull, wouldn’t be panto without him, just brilliant)) and Jack Land Noble (one of the best Dames in the business in my opinion) is hilarious. Brendan Cole was amazing, his dancing was, of course fabulous, and the more he got booed the more he seemed to enjoy it! Sheri Lineham, played Goldilocks to perfection, what a voice!
The pieces when costume/scene changes were needed were very well done particularly El Mariachi Marquez (Gordon Marquez) the most fabulous juggler and the “12 Days of Christmas” skit which had us all crying with laughter!
Everyone involved in this show, from the band (Jon Chamberlain, Lisa Featherston, Mark Knight), the ensemble, who worked so hard and deserve a special mention (Katie Faulkner, Olivia Jones, Harvey Morris, Max Parrish, Nikki Seymour and Katie Shannon) to the back stage crew made this into the brilliant show it is.
It is well worth going to watch and absolutely deserving of the 5***** I have given it!