King’s Theatre, Edinburgh – until 19 January 2020
Reviewed by James Knight
3***
It’s billed as the Greatest Panto on Earth, but it’s a statement that fails to live up to expectations – like the porridge of the original tale, the King’s panto feels a little undercooked at times.
Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the panto sticks the landing perfectly, and the King’s knows what its audience wants. Jokes, digs at unsuspecting members of the audience, a villain to boo, sets to astound and effects to amaze. And there they do not disappoint.
As was well publicised last year, beloved national treasure Andy Gray was ‘no very well’, but he’s back now, and the show is all the better for it. He’s re-introduced with a Chicago- styled tribute (‘Roxy’, but retitled ‘Andy’) and once he’s on, you don’t want him to leave. Welcome back sir.
It’s no doubt that Allan Stewart as May McReekie, owner of McReekie’s circus, is glad to have him back as well, although while Stewart’s energy can’t be faulted, some jokes led by the Dame-in-Residence felt laboured and dragged on for too long. I don’t know how many years the Songs-as-Speech gag has been going on for, but it felt tired and overlong this year, and the running gag of shameless self-promotion for his own book well outstayed its welcome. And when a Limmy Show sketch is performed word for word, it felt like a hasty last-minute addition to cover a scene change rather than provide some fresh material.
Elsewhere there’s a fresh face in Jordan Young’s circus clown Joey, featuring in the King’s panto after being nicked from Aberdeen. Young looks set to be a favourite here in Edinburgh – sorry Aberdeen, he might be here to stay. He more than proves his entertainment value not only in a high-wire act but also at the top of Act 2 – where he recounts the entirety of Act 1 to a bewildered Goldilocks (Gillian Parkhouse) and an audience sitting in the palm of his hand.
Of course, it’s a circus, and we have the Great Juggling Alfio and the Beserk Riders to add the extra wow factor. Alfio keeps us mesmerised with his tricks, causing me to completely disregard Baron von Vinklebottom (Grant Stott)’s big number, as Alfio casually stole the scene from him. I think the song was about Hibs. It usually is.
Of course, at some points the show didn’t even pretend that ‘Goldilocks…’ even had a plot. I’m not sure Parkhouse’s performance was even necessary. When the title suggests four characters, and the poster features Not A Single One Of Them, a not uncommon phenomenon mentioned by Simon Sladen in an excellent article in the Stage last month about gender imbalance in panto, something has to change.
As Jordan Young’s inclusion proved this year, a little shake-up can be good for an institution like the King’s – so why not go further? Then you’d have a show that was just right.