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Menier Chocolate Factory – until 1 March 2025

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

5*****

The Producers are back in London with a bang… and a few coos. Mel Brooks’s hit play/musical/film is a laugh riot in the hands of director Patrick Marber and this incredible company.

The story of the unlikely partnership of failed Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Andy Nyman) whose every show is a flop, and accountant Leo Bloom (Marc Antolin) is still an absolute blast. When Leo realises that the surefire way to make a profit is to produce a show that will close on opening night, they plot to produce the worst show Broadway has ever seen. Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden by Franz Liebkind fits the bill, and in the hands of the worst director they know, Roger De Bris (Trevor Ashley) everything goes right – too right – as the audience love the all-singing, all-dancing Führer.

Brooks and fellow writer Thomas Meehan’s humour never offends in this production, as jokes, whether aimed at Jews, Nazis, gays, or sexist tropes are all delivered with a gleeful shrug and wink as the biggest joke is on the theatrical nonsense.

The cast are incredible. On press night Andy Nyman was unwell, but performed brilliantly, so I can only imagine what he will be like firing on all cylinders. Nyman makes the sleezy Max pathetic and loveable, and very very funny. His chemistry with Marc Antolin’s sweet but determined Bloom is wonderful, and each moment the pair share on stage is a delight. And their voices! Throwing a spanner into this relationship is the fabulous Joanna Woodward as Ulla. Trevor Ashley is superb as the preening De Bris, wringing laughs from every gesture and glance to the audience, and Harry Morrison’s unhinged Fritz is a delight.

There are plenty of visual gags in the background – Fritz’s pigeons almost steal the show, and this production’s version of Springtime for Hitler is gloriously daft, with Trevor Ashley’s entrance drawing howls of laughter.

Scott Pask’s set enables swift changes between Maz’s office, Roger’s glamorous apartment and Fritz’s rooftop. Paul Farnsworth’s costumes are simply glorious and Lorin Latarro’s superb choreography is wonderfully old-school and silly – the little old ladies dance is inspired.

Menier musical revivals often transfer to the West End – and although this intimate production is every producer’s dream with the run sold out, here’s hoping that we get to see it on a bigger stage soon. The irreverent, irrepressible humour, performed with panache and boundless energy by the talented company, makes this THE show to see this Christmas season.

The Hexagon Reading – until Sunday 5 January 2025

Reviewed by Rebecca Salveson

5*****

Cinderella is one of the most famous pantomime story of all, and Justin Fletcher has pulled it out of the bag again and has created a traditional fairytale panto that is full of everything you could possibly want from a good old English Panto!.

This much-loved tale ticks all the right boxes. The Evil stepmother, “Madame Frost” (Ally Cox) and her horrid daughters Porcelaina, (Rachel Delooze) and Lavina, (Bex Allingham) provide us with the baddies we love to hate and give plenty of opportunities for boo’s and hisses! There is the dashing Prince(Carl Tracey)with his signature smile and his right-hand man Dandini (Adam Pettigrew) and of course the charming and beautiful Cinderella (Samantha Dorrance). The fairy Godmother, Fairy Goodheart (Casandra Lee) enchanted us all and this stella cast was topped off by the brilliant partnership of Buttons (Justin Fletcher) and Nanny Gumdrop (Paul Morse). The ensemble supports the cast brilliantly and it was lovely to see some younger faces taking part.

The pace of the show was perfect and there was contemporary music teamed with traditional panto slapstick, jokes and a sprinkle of panto magic. There really is something for every age and every taste, tradition mixed with new and fresh content. There were plenty of ‘laugh out load moments’ and lots of audience participation, the jokes were new and landed well with adults and children alike. We were pleased to see that elements of the Hexagon Panto that we have come to love were still included. The script is excellent and provided room for ad-lib moments and spontaneity amongst the cast, the relationship between Buttons and Nanny Gumdrop is ‘gold’!

New this year to the Hexagon was the high-tech digital scenery and wow it really brought the stage to life and had my two young nieces gasping in amazement. This new technology catapults the panto right into the 21st century!

The whole cast are outstanding, and the costumes and musical numbers add glitter and glamor to the story.

If you’re looking for a pantomime to bring joy to the whole family and get you in the Christmas spirit, then look no further! Come and see Cinderella at the Hexagon in Reading and make all your Panto dreams come true!

Thank you Hexagon Theatre

The Core at Corby Cube, Corby – until 29th December 2024

Review by Amanda Allen

5*****

This was my first visit to the Core at the Cube in Corby and I was really impressed with the theatre and all the staff. I had a great welcome from the band of volunteers who were readily available to answer questions and guide us to seats. Right from the start the scene was set with the giant himself telling us to turnoff our phones! What followed was a master class in classic English Pantomime! Produced by Little Wolf Entertainment this is an art form that the rest of the world just doesn’t understand or appreciate.

With a relatively small cast and a band of local dance school pupils making up the ensemble we were transported to the fair and to Trott’s ice cream Parlor for the rags to riches love story that is Jack and the Beanstalk. Within a matter of minutes, we found ourselves yelling “Oh no we don’t” and “oh yes we do” in response to the fairy, Carrie Sell (Laura Porter) and the baddie Walter Waltzer. With a few tweaks to the classic plot we meet Walter Waltzer, the giant’s helper down on the ground (Cue lots of Booing and Hissing) played brilliantly by Joseph Beach, he was a very entertaining and funny baddie. Simple Simon, played by Oliver Halford, was a mass of energy and fun from the moment he exploded on to the stage. He engaged the audience from the outset and carried them along with him throughout the show.

The Dame, Helga Skelter Trott, absolutely stole the show. Brilliantly played by Morgan Philpott and wearing a succession of more and more elaborate dresses and wigs, she had the audience exactly where she wanted them to be. With such excellent writing by Morgan Brind that reflected the locality of the theatre along with many jokes based on current affairs, the show felt both topically up to date and classic.

A special mention must be made of the Head of costume, Emma Waugh, the dames’ outfits were wonderful and numerous, I lost count of the costume changes, but they were many and all were wonderfully outrageous, funny and colourful. The Mayor, Norman Naise (Guy Mott) was a good solid base for the rest of the cast to work around, having a slightly more serious and stately appearance he gave a great impression of someone who should be in charge but couldn’t quite bring himself to do it! His daughter Jillian (Daisy Ward) and Jack Trott (Joshua Price) were both great as the main characters and the love story based on them had a wonderful twist with Jillian being the big brave rescuer defeating the baddie and also getting down on one knee to ask Jack to marry her, a very modern twist to the classic tale.

The Set and costume designers deserve a special mention as along with the spoken jokes, there were plenty of visual ones all through the show. My favourite’s being the “Smug” Fridge freezer, the “DeLongshe” kettle outfit and the “Queasy Jet” aeroplane one. Along with the music and amended lyrics to many familiar songs we were kept entertained throughout the whole 2 hours and 25 minutes.

My only criticism is that at almost 2 ½ hours long it’s a lot for young children to sit through. I think it would still be as good if they could just reduce the running time by half an hour. A little less repeating the song jokes and it could be perfect. As it is, it’s a great night out, the best of Christmas traditions, good value for money and a great show in the classic English tradition of pantomime with a modern twist. Go and see it, you will laugh all night and leave with a big smile on your face.

Norwich Theatre Royal – until 5th January 2025

Reviewed by Boo Wakefield

5*****

Once again it’s that time of year for pantomimes to come alive and entertain us all, both old and young. And the Norwich Theatre Royal production of Aladdin – A Genie-us Norfolk Adventure did not disappoint. With the theatre full of over excited children, the cast of this energetic production kept them cheering, booing and shouting out from start to finish.

Written by Richard Gauntlett and directed by Chris Cuming, this is a pantomime filled with the usual “he’s behind you” and a lot of “of yes he did!” to keep everyone amused. The storyline follows the Aladdin story with Jazz (Meesha Turner), an orphaned girl who is living with her wicked aunt Professor Bellatrix Bottomburgh (Lisa Maxwell). Jazz meets Aladdin (Tarik Frimpong) who she instantly falls for but Bellatrix does not approve. To get rid of Aladdin, Bellatrix persuades him to go into a cave to retrieve a magic lamp which she believes will give her wealth and power. She intends to leave him in the cave, having given her the lamp, but Aladdin, helped by the genie, decides to keep the lamp and thwart Bellatrix. To the delight of the young audience, good overcomes evil and love conquers all!

Widow Molly Piecrust, played by Owen Evans, is Aladdin’s mother and dame in this production entertaining everyone with many different extravagant and outrageous outfits and wigs. Joe Tracini, playing Aladdin’s brother, surprised all of us, including himself, by being the genie of the lamp! His comic timing along with his endless energy was a joy.

The ensemble of eight flipped from policemen to servants to ice dancers and party goers with ease giving us crisp dance routines (choreographed by Amy Lawrence) and rousing songs. The ensemble also moved much of the staging and props to give seamless set changes. Kirsteen Wythe takes credit for the costume designs which were original, fun and oh so sparkly!

This pantomime was played by a cast that looked like they were really enjoying themselves from start to finish (even Bellatrix when she was being evil!), who’s timing was brilliant, energy never flagged and comedy on the right level to keep both parents and children amused. This is a must for this Christmas season – oh yes it is!

ANTONY COSTA TO THE RESCUE!

BLUE STAR STEPS IN AS PRINCE IN DE MONTFORT HALL’S

SNOW WHITE

De Montfort Hall’s magical family pantomime Snow White opens tonight, and it’s already making headlines! Due to an unforeseen family emergency, Gyasi Sheppy has had to step down from his role as the Prince. But panto fans needn’t worry, Snow White will still get her happily-ever-after, thanks to the heroic arrival of boyband icon and stage star Antony Costa!

Antony, best known as a member of the chart-topping band Blue, whose 2022 arena tour sold out across the UK, is no stranger to the spotlight. With theatre credits which include Rock of Ages (UK Tour); Save The Last Dance For Me (UK Tour); Blood Brothers (Phoenix Theatre); Boogie Nights (UK Tour) and Popstars The Musical (UK Tour) and more than a decade of appearing in pantomime, he’s the perfect fit for this royal role and is delighted to be donning his Princes sash again this year. 

Speaking about his last-minute return to Pantoland, Antony shared his excitement:

“I thought I might have a year off this year! But in Pantoland, anything can happen! I couldn’t be happier to step into the role of the Prince in Snow White. It’s a part I know well, and joining the sensational cast at De Montfort Hall is a real Christmas treat for me. Panto is the perfect way to kick off the festive season, and I can’t wait to share the magic with Leicester audiences!”

Tony Flint Venue Director at De Montfort Hall adds: “As ever with theatre and live performance you can expect the unexpected, so we are delighted Antony has been able to come in at the eleventh hour to make sure we put on a fantastic show which we know Leicester audiences will love.  He’s a true panto hero! 

While Antony prepares for his role, choreographer and understudy Stuart Rogers will perform as Prince with Antony taking over from Tuesday 17 December.

Antony joins Ru Paul’s Drag Race finalist and Musical Theatre star Divina De Campo, returning Leicester faves X Factor’s Sam Bailey, Dame Jack Ballard as NannyNora and hilarious funnyman Jarred Christmas as the hapless Muddles. With Tash Bacarese- Hamilton making her Leicester debut in the title role and the talented ensemble, Amy-Rose Gordon, Maddie McGawley, Emmanuel Duarte, Euan Libaudiere, Leo Udvarlaky, Lucy Holcroft, Lydia Lloyd and Nathan Purnell, Snow White promises to be an unforgettable festive adventure for the whole family.

When the Wicked Queen’s magic mirror declares that Snow White is the fairest in the land, the Wicked Queen is overcome with jealousy. Will Snow White defeat the Queen, meet a dashing prince, and will love prevail?

Expect a wickedly good time at this spectacular traditional show, with panto jokes and fun, hit songs, incredible dancing, and plenty of seasonal joy for the whole family… and don’t miss your chance to see the boyband heartthrob sprinkle some extra star power on the fairest panto of them all.

Tickets are still available for what’s shaping up to be Leicester’s best panto yet.  Playing until 05 January, find out more and book your tickets at demontforthall.co.uk

Wyvern Theatre, Swindon– until 5th January 2025

Reviewed by Jacqui Radford

5*****

The classic tale of Cinderella is a perfect starting point for adding sparkle to the season and this production certainly adds that. With a cast starring Lisa George, David Ashley and Ben Goffe it also offers the classic pantomime combination of silliness, song, slapstick and shout outs. Even the ugly sisters are appropriately named ‘Siri’ and ‘Alexa’.

The theatre itself is a perfect setting for a full experience of audience participation, including enabling the cast to run around the audience during some parts of the performance. Everyone feels invested in the singing and interaction with the cast.

The storyline is of course familiar to most but as with every good panto, there’s a Dame thrown into the mix; Mollie Miggins (played by David Ashley). Paired with Buttons (played by Ben Goffe), every scene that is delivered by the duo is full of fun. Hearing all generations laughing at their nonsense really reminds you that pantomime really is for everyone.

So far as the set design is concerned, no expense has been spared. Every set is joyful and dreamlike and if you are hoping for the ‘wow’ factor, you will not be disappointed by the magical horse and carriage that takes Cinderella to the ball. I am sure that every princess loving member of the audience was blown away by it and quite possibly still talking about it.

The musical elements of the production include songs that add another dimension to each scene and engage everyone in singing along or dancing in their seats. By the end you feel as though you have been as involved in this fairytale as Cinderella herself.

If you have never been to panto before, then this is the perfect introduction. Prepare to fall in love with the magic!

Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 5th January 2025

Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau

4****

Panto season returns to Malvern tonight – and this year’s show, Sleeping Beauty, has a lot to live up to following last year’s sparkling Cinderella.

The opening number showed one of the great strengths of the production – with our titular lady in fine voice and the ensemble dancers showing fine form. Then there’s Carabosse’s opening aria (and it was an aria) giving us Jordan Lee Davies amazing voice. He was also appearing to relish the dark side of the hissable lead – with a really enjoyable maniacal laugh in place. In many ways, like Batman’s universe, it’s the quality of the villain that propels the story and tonight we had a strong showing.

Princess Rose, played by Ellie Dadd, headed the cast and gave us a charming leading lady. A lovely voice and fine dancing were the surprise. What wasn’t a surprise was the quality of her acting – with her years in Eastenders standing her in good stead. Her leading man, Prince Vincent (Alexander Emery), was her equal in charm and they made a handsome, believable couple. I enjoyed his bringing in many elements from other sources – principally Monty Python’s Holy Grail’s horses (those in the know will get a warm glow from this).

Mark James returns to the Pantoverse as Chester the Jester. Always a joy and very funny. He was another of the undoubted highlights and his catchphrase “where’s my mates?” was easy to answer – such a likable presence had mates throughout the auditorium.

The rest of the cast were superb too – The King (Mark Llewelyn Evans) had a magnificent voice, Fairy Snowfall (Shani Cantor) delivery was spot on and Nanny Nora (Phillip Arran) had as fine a line in double entendre’s as she did her wardrobe… Wonderful one and all.

The costumes were sumptuous, the sets grand enough to evoke all the regal kingdom spaces necessary and the orchestra sounded much more expansive than the modest forces of just 3 musicians! A fabulous spectacle was put on – and adding much towards that was the front screen projection special effects which were genuinely very impressive. I particularly loved the Superman inspired flying scene/travels through time, which warmed my heart greatly – so kudos to the production team and the actor performing that (I won’t give spoilers).

If I were to have one slight criticism I would say that the script takes a while (perhaps necessarily) to lay out the narrative and get to the rip roaring jokes. When they arrive they are typical of the genre and mostly fairly well telegraphed so for me the greatest pleasure was in the cast ad-libs and the bits that look like they’ve gone slightly wrong. I hope that as the show beds in for its run it doesn’t lose this spontaneity.

A very good show that will appeal to young in years as well as the young at heart. It’s Panto; so you know what you’re getting. If you love Panto you will love this one. Once again Malvern Theatre excels and I’m sure that tickets will sell like hot cakes so I’d encourage everyone to get in quick!

Hull Truck Theatre – until 29th December 2024

Reviewed by Dawn Bennett

5*****

Rapunzel (Megan Crossland) loves reading, she’s reads anything and everything from mysteries and fairytales to cookbooks and poems, and she really likes Christmas as well and wants to leave her house and experience it in other places but something is stopping her. Her Mum (Amy Thompson) has tried everything to get Rapunzel to leave the comfort of her books and her bedroom but she really can’t. She would much rather read her books and disappear into a fantasy world where she feels safe and anyway, she needs to sort out her very, very long unruly hair before she can go anywhere!

Six days before Christmas she is looking out of her bedroom window and sees someone in the garden, it’s Robin (Jo Patmore) who is with their teddy bear, Theo. Robin is making up a story and when they spot Rapunzel they try and get them involved, asking them to add something to the story. Rapunzel is used to reading about things so getting her to make up her own story is a struggle.

Rapunzel’s Mum sees Robin and, without Rapunzel knowing, asks them if they will come back the next day as she really needs a friend, and this might make her come outside. Mum also says that if they will come back that she will give them a Christmas present! So, will Robin be able to help Rapunzel? Will she be brave enough to come outside?

Rapunzel is a delightful production which was written and directed by Tom Saunders. This would be an ideal introduction to theatre for young children. It has a very talented cast, an easy-to-follow storyline, a great set and costumes (designed by Amy Watts) singing, dancing and lots of audience participation! It was a lovely way to spend an hour and I would 100% recommend this fabulous show. Catch it while you can!

Richmond Theatre – until Sunday 5^th January 2025 

Reviewed by C Burlinge  

4****

Richmond Theatre brings you this year’s pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, written by Alan McHugh and directed by Paul Robinson. Based on the well-known Disney classic, Belle’s birthday has arrived and all she would like is a single red rose, like her father used to give her. Her mother goes to the nearby castle to find a rose, unaware that the castle and its master, Prince Sebastian, are enchanted. The Prince is now a Beast, cursed by an enchantress, who has to learn that true beauty lies within and find true love before the last petal on a magic rose falls in order to lift the curse. Can the spell be broken? Or is the Prince destined to live as a beast forever? 

Silly Billy (Pete Firman) is Belle’s (Hope Dawe) best friend, who works in the castle with his mum Mrs Potty (Maureen Lipman), but he is secretly in love with Belle. Belle also has to fend off the unwanted affections of Flash Harry (Jason Leigh Winter) who is vain, arrogant and out to destroy the Beast in order to win Belle’s heart.  

Silly Billy makes a memorable entrance onto the stage in the dark, on what appears to be a motorbike, but is in fact the first of many classic panto gags. Billy is a lovable character whose cheesy jokes, magic tricks and pantomime humour had the audience laughing, and participating in the performance, both adults and children alike. Mrs Potty and Betty Bouffant (Ben Stock) Belle’s mum are the quintessential pantomime dames, with bright, gaudy and flamboyant costumes, wigs and tongue-in-cheek one-liners. Both are entertaining characters and bounce off of each other and Billy in the scenes they share, with some very memorable moments. A special mention must be made of their highly comical tongue twister, which whilst impressive in itself, became even funnier when the three were unable to keep a straight face and complete their lines!! Despite this being every actor’s worst nightmare, together they were able to continue the scene with quick thinking ad-libbed one liners, whilst in fits of laughter, which caused the audience to laugh even harder.  

Flash Harry absorbed every single boo and hiss from the audience with obvious enjoyment, even encouraging the audience to shout louder. His pursuit of Belle was as obvious as you would expect, oozing blind self-confidence in how attractive he was and of course how he was clearly the only romantic choice for Belle.  

In comparison, Prince Sebastian / the Beast (Luke McCall) was Flash Harry’s polar opposite – when he stopped roaring! Both Flash Harry and Prince Sebastian have strong singing voices and played their roles well.  

Belle was as lovable a character as you would expect, with a lovely singing voice and cheery disposition. The story was narrated by The Enchantress (Cherece Richards), who also acted as a reminder to Prince Sebastian of his goal, lack of progress and sometimes conscience. The Enchantress had a very powerful singing voice which was highlighted very well in a number of songs.  

The costumes were very creative, especially the ones the ensemble cast used to portray the wolf attack!  

This production was classically entertaining, with a certain charm, which took me back to my childhood, and whilst it didn’t blow the audience away it is a great example of wholesome pantomime fun for the whole family.  

Alphabetti Theatre Newcastle open Tyne – until 21st December 2024

Reviewed by Sandra Little

5*****

Recommended age for this show is 16+

This Christmas offering from Alphabetti is an absolute delight! It’s a laugh out loud experience from start to finish and a brilliantly different take on the usual Christmas themes. It’s written by Coggin Galbreath and based on an all American pageant with the main character Pati Boo Rae (played by Coggin Galbreath) assuming that once again she will be a clear winner in this competition. Patti who hails from Texas and appears to be self obsessed, has won the competition for the past five years and is confident that the candy cane crown for this year’s pageant is, without doubt, hers for the taking.

There is a nod in this show, to all of the pageant classics including an interview involving a member of the audience, a hilarious swimsuit routine, an evening wear scene and a talent scene. When asked during her interview who is her role model Patti replies, “Baby Jesus.” Suffice to say her explanation for choosing Baby Jesus is is a laugh out loud moment.

Unfortunately for Patti, her assumption of further success in the pageant is threatened when a late entry rival in the form of Betty Thunderthighs is allowed to join the competition. Patti’s protests about rule breaking are dismissed and a vote is arranged to choose the winner. Betty of course, looks stunning in her sparkly Christmas dress with white fur cape and lavish jeweller; her make up is a superb artistic creation which adds to the drama. Although Betty didn’t join Patti on stage for a while, she made her presence felt when she did arrive, particularly with her facial expressions. The involvement of Betty definitely adds to the melodrama of the show.

Patti delivered some classic Christmas songs with great style, beginning with Jingle Bell Rock and moving on to Santa Baby. However, my favourite routine had to be Patti’s take on “You Can Take Your hat off” which was delivered with the help of a brave member of the audience and was extremely funny.

In between the high energy on stage performance there are video clips of Patti in different situations and during one of these clips we learn that the pageant is being sponsored by Tupperware! The technical expertise of Nick Tyler (stage manager and technician) guarantees a smooth transition from live show to video clip.

Patti is joined by a different special guest artist each night at Alphabetti so no two shows are the same. However, I am sure that each show will be a real treat.

Judging by audience reaction I don’t think I was the only person having a great night at Alphabetti. People embraced the audience participation aspect of the show with enthusiasm and the singalongs were great fun.

As one would imagine, camp doesn’t come close to describing the style of this show. It was a feel good, laugh a minute, high energy offering that was a delight from start to finish. I have no qualms about giving a 5 star rating.