Aladdin

The Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle

Until Saturday 9 January 2010

Forget the big budgets, forget the spectacular special effects – if it’s a traditional family pantomime that you’re after look no further than Aladdin at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House.

Once again, Newcastle Pantomime Company presents a show that contains more slapstick, sing-along songs, silly jokes and festive frolics than you can shake a seasonal stick at.

The cast is headed by former Doctor Who and Emmerdale star Frazer Hines as Wishee Washee, and his endearing performance of the loveable laundry layabout is a real hit with the kids in the audience. His affable nature and comedy timing are a testament to his skill as a performer, and it is easy to see why this is his 28^th consecutive pantomime.

Maxie Peters and Billy Mitchell make a great comedic double-act as Sergeant Ping and Constable Pong and their special brand of madcap mayhem is delivered in the style of true vaudevillians.

Kevin O’Keefe dons the most outrageous and outlandish costumes and wigs as the man-mad Widow Twankey, Old Peking’s very own version of Dot Branning, whilst Brendan Healy receives a barrage of booing and hissing as the evil Abanazar.

The title role is performed by Jayne MacKenzie and her shapely legs and powerful vocals make her the perfect principal boy. Catherine McCabe is slightly limited in the role of Princess Jasmine, yet never lets an opportunity to shine pass her by.

Jim Kitson as the Emperor and Kim Atkinson, doubling-up as So-Shy and The Slave of the Ring, considerably add to the overall entertainment.

The sets are bright, bold and gloriously colourful and there are some fantastic costumes, too – Abanazar’s fabulous bejewelled shroud must have made a hefty dent in the wardrobe budget. Throw into the mix a dancing elephant named Fatima, a parody of SuBo and Jedward, an ensemble of six, and a live orchestra and you are rewarded with a production packed with magic and mystique that offers real family fun.

Steve Burbridge.

Surely if you've seen one pantomime you've seen them all? Like the Christmas present you've already identified before it's been unwrapped, you may well assume you already know panto and its well-worn conventions, and that it's not for you. If that's the case you're in for a surprise with Jemima Levick's Peter Pan. Yes it entertains children with its own childlike sense of wonder but, unlike other pantos it also sends up the old conventions, giving the production a unique sparkle.

The characters are not your standard pantomime line-up. The typically whimsical Peter Pan has added depth as an adolescent really struggling to come to terms with his feelings for Wendy. Similarly Hook is not your average villain, instead he seems to self-consciously 'play the baddie'. The conflict between good and evil drives the plot so we might expect a more sinister Hook, even if the role is played tongue in cheek. Nevertheless the doubling up of Stuart Bowman as both Hook and Mr. Darling makes for a clever and unsettling comparison: is the father who mischievously spikes Nana's milk really so different from the pirate who maliciously poisons Peter? The doubling up of Tiger Lilly and Liza the nurse is equally unusual and Francesca Dymond switches between the roles with ease. Similarly casting a male Tinkerbell provides a refreshing alternative to the traditional panto dame. While the interpretation of Nana as a sweep reluctantly dressed up as a dog seems a little contrived, it nevertheless reinforces the overall theme of the play as a make-believe story put on by the children.

Interpreting the play as the children's fantasy is a clever twist that makes the story more believeable for adults as we then see it through the eyes of a child. The idea of play-acting is also brilliantly explored in the way the production is staged. Francis O' Connor's fascinating set centres round the children's giant bed which is magically trasnformed into the play's many locations, as if the children have never left the nursery and are instead pretending to be on an adventure. The stage itself also changes form, with the actors' suggestions: one moment they mime swimming, as if they're at sea, and the next they mime skating on ice. Even the kite that carries Wendy to safety cleverly doubles as the crocodile, continuing that sense of creative potential that children see in things.

Indeed while the production is unusually throught-provoking, with its unconventional characters and ironic approach to the fantasy, it still appeals to the younger viewers' sense of wonder. Not only does the vibrant, ever-changing set leave the audience eager to see where we are going to be taken next, but the illusions are equally compelling. The flying and combat scenes are convincing and skilfully executed and throughout there are touches of magic, like the sequence in which all the boys miraculously fit into Wendy's tiny house!

To sum up, Levick's Peter Pan is all about playing, whether with the conventions of pantomime or in the sense of play-acting or just childlike playing for its own sake. Instead of being formulaic this panto is, on the contrary, a celebration of free-thinking that would make Peter Pan proud. Indeed although I've been a panto Scrooge in the past, now the next time someone suggests that 'If you've seen one panto you've seen them all', I'll be the first to say 'Oh no you haven't!'.

Felicity Thomson

Peter Pan, The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
27th November 2009- 3rd Janaury 2010

Aladdin

Darlington Civic Theatre

They say that you should never judge a book by its cover – well, if that’s the case, then you should also never judge a panto by its headliners.

I must admit that I initially turned my nose up at the prospect of reviewing a production starring The Grumbleweeds and X-Factor’s Chico, expecting it to be a bit of a Z-list celebrity affair. The taste of a large portion of humble pie is not a pleasant one, let me tell you, but I must swallow it nevertheless!

Aladdin is everything a good panto should be – frothy, frivolous fun – and this is largely due to Chico, who plays the title role. A natural extrovert, he throws himself wholeheartedly into delivering a performance that is so energetic and physically demanding that it must, surely, be powered by a plentiful supply of ‘the batteries with the copper coloured top.’

The Grumbleweeds – well, two of them anyway – step into the shoes of the Chinese policemen to provide much of the trademark slapstick. Robin Colvill, as Pc Wishee, and Graham Walker, as Pc Washee, are true masters of their art and delight the audience with a brilliant mix of comedy, music and impressions. Their instant rapport with the children in the audience is phenomenal, especially considering that none of the youngsters are old enough to remember them from their 1980s heyday.

Max Somerset is fantastic as the evil Abanazar, convincing the kids that he really is a sorcerer with his magic tricks and flame-throwing staff, whilst Bobby Bennett, a seasoned ‘dame’, treats us to a kind and cuddly Widow Twankey.

Sarah Brown is a quintessential Princess Jasmine and she shines brightest of all during her musical numbers, in which she proves that a petite princess can still produce a powerhouse performance.

There are some amazing circus acts within the production, encompassing juggling, plate-spinning and acrobatics. Yu Yin as So-Shy astonishes young and old alike with her incredible skill and dexterity – the act involving the Chinese parasols is absolutely breathtaking. Bubu Endresz, who doubles-up as The Emperor and The Genie of the Lamp, is equally as impressive.

The talented ensemble of six adds colour and movement to the musical numbers, whist performing Sarah St George’s slick and stylish choreography with precision and panache.

Director David Fleeshman ensures that the action crackles along at a pace that retains the attention of children with even the shortest of attention spans and the script, by Jon Conway, includes plenty of opportunity for audience participation and contains all the required elements to qualify this as a good old-fashioned traditional panto.

Indeed, this production of Aladdin enchants the audience with some real treasure of the Orient and has spirits soaring even higher than a magic carpet.

Until Sunday 17^th January 2010

3 December - 16 January

Sleeping Beauty  


The Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch

by Nicholas Pegg

music and lyrics by Carol Sloman

Directed by Matt Devitt

“Don’t be silly, Silly Billy!” still rings in my ears after this thoroughly enjoyable performance of Sleeping Beauty by cut to the chase accompanied by children from local stage schools at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch.

The tone was immediately set by Simon Jessop as William Sillium, otherwise known as Silly Billy, bearing a vague resemblance to Frank Spencer.  Jessop did a good job of warming up the audience, instructing on when and what to shout.  There was no lack of audience participation, first on the agenda was to single out an unsuspecting adult to harass, the participant was a very willing John, who was given a pink fluffy headband to wear and some lines to shout, to the squealing joy of all children in close vicinity.

Chris MacDonnell’s Nanny Clutterbuck was a delight in an assortment of outrageously ridiculous costumes.  She delivered one-liners and song intros that only a pantomime dame can get away with.  She occasionally threw one up for the adults; you had to be pretty sharp to catch them, but when they landed, they landed well, along with the handfuls of sweets thrown into the audience.  The kids were in a frenzy before the second scene.

Participation was encouraged throughout and this performance fulfilled all the requirements of a good pantomime.  Calls of, ‘Behind you!’ And  ‘Oh no it isn’t.’ were not just limited to the younger audience as plates were dropped and smashed, and faces landed in cakes.  The good Fairy, Forget-Me-Not (Lucy Thackeray) was gladly helped in her need to remember names. Tom Clutterbuck (Elliot Harper), the thigh slapping love interest of the sleeping princess, Aurora (Sarah Scowen) performed a heroic sword fight sequence with the bad Fairy Carabosse (Jane Milligan) over her spell book.  The audience were employed as allies of the brave group who were crossing oceans and mountains in order to find a way of waking up the princess from her hundred-year sleep.  The spell book was passed between the audience as Carabosse fought to get it back. The intrepid group were eventually rewarded for their efforts, as they found the spell and were helped back to the castle by an extremely impressive dragon, (I was almost frightened). The boos and hisses and overwhelming heckling helped to rid the world of the evil Carabosse.  I was enchanted by the puppet show, illustrating the characters’ journey back to the castle on the blackened stage and stunned by the flying dragon as it passed overhead, carrying the characters on its back.

This is truly where cut to the chase shine, using their musical experience and sense of fun  Jane Milligan’s powerful voice carried along a great number, backed by the children and Sarah Scowen and Elliot Harper performed a couple of coming of age duets beautifully. The dance routines, especially King Boris’s Tango style dance with Nanny Clutterbuck in his attempts to woo her, were highly entertaining.

The Queen's theatre showed their commitment to and their familiarity with their audience.  Children from  the local schools were mentioned as well as individuals who were celebrating birthdays.

This was a fun filled evening that was certainly not just for the kids, as long as you unleash the inner child and lose your inhibitions and have a go at screaming at the top of your voice…’Don’t be silly, Silly Billy!’ you’ll have a ball…go on.

Sleeping Beauty


THE CUSTOMS HOUSE, SOUTH SHIELDS

There are many aspects of the festive season that I always really look forward to: a turkey dinner; parties; catching up with friends . . . the list goes on. And somewhere near the very top of that list is going to see ‘the little panto with the big heart’ at The Customs House in South Shields.

It’s one of those things that, for me, makes Christmas – along with the Queen’s speech, Bing Crosby singing ‘White Christmas’, mulled wine and mince pies.

Following on from the phenomenal success of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the cast – a mixture of familiar and new faces – are treating audiences to the tale of Sleeping Beauty.

Ask anyone in the country to list the essential elements of a good old traditional panto and they might come up with a list as long as your arm. However, ask anyone in South Tyneside the same question and you’ll probably get only one answer – Dame Dotty and Tommy.

Ray Spencer (Tommy) and Bob Stott (Dame Dotty) are, without any shadow of a doubt, the basis of The Customs House panto and the reason for that is evident – their sheer enjoyment of playing opposite each other in addition to their propensity to deviate, expertly, from the script and indulge in a spot of ad-libbing, which results in a performance that is fresh and spontaneous.

I’m sure that to explain the plot of a story that is as well-known and well-loved as Sleeping Beauty would be superfluous, so it seems more appropriate to focus on the performances.

Peter Darrant’s villain is a stalwart of this particular venue’s panto . This year, as the Evil Chancellor Lord Darling, he elevates campness to a new and previously unchartered level. To say that his performance contained more ‘mince’ than a butcher’s shop window would be erring on the side of understatement. Yet, much to his credit, it is done in a way that goes over the kids’ heads but is not at all lost on the adults.

Darrant’s master of malevolence is joined by Helen Embleton’s fiendish fairy, Narcissis. Making her panto debut in style, Embleton marvellously milks the role for all it is worth, positively relishing the deafening boos that she received.

Lucy Rafton once again occupies the title role and she gives an assured performance as Princess Primrose of Jarra. The Prince, Walter of Howden, who she meets and falls in love with, is played by newcomer Afnan Ifitkhar and he looks every inch the romantic hero. His singing voice has the clarity and distinction which, unfortunately, his dialogue lacks and some of his lines were, to me, inaudible.

Graham Overton, another regular at The Customs House, gives an endearing performance as the bumbling King Street, whilst Rachel Teate (Fairy Cake), Rebecca Currie (Fairy Lights) and Lindsay-Anne Dagg (Fairy Nuff), who all graduated from drama school only this year, spread more than just a little magic as Princess Primrose’s Fairy Godmothers.

Not to be outdone by splashier, flashier pantomimes, The Customs House also has its fair share of technical wizardry in the form of a delightful little animated dragon named Derek and his much larger, fire-breathing uncle, Archimedes.

The script, as it should, has more corn than the Jolly Green Giant on harvest day and it’s great fun to groan along at the predictable puns.

Once again, The Customs House has come up trumps with a sensational seasonal show that is full of festive frolics – I can’t wait for next year!

Steve Burbridge.

Sleeping Beauty runs until Sunday 3 January 2010.

Cinderella

Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne

It isn’t only the Prince who is charming in Newcastle Theatre Royal’s stunning production of Cinderella – everyone and everything else is, too.

Never before have I seen such a lavish, spectacular pantomime and I wouldn’t even like to attempt to guess at the amount of work, time and money that has been invested into making it happen.

Of course, audiences at the Theatre Royal are now used to getting the very best in seasonal entertainment – for the last five years each of the panto’s written, directed and produced by Michael Harrison have broke the previous year’s box office records. And each of them has been bigger and better than the last.

It is probably no coincidence that, for the last five years, the cast has been headed by father and son double-act, Clive Webb and Danny Adams. The audiences, especially the kids, absolutely worship them and erupt into rapturous cheers and applause as soon as they make their first stage entrance.

This year they are co-starring with Roxanne Pallett, formerly of Emmerdale and Dancing on Ice fame, who plays a spirited Cinderella. Although she isn’t given many opportunities to sing, when she does the hairs on the back of your neck stand up - who knew she could sing like that?

Newcastle’s very own panto dame, the inimitable Chris Hayward, makes a welcome return (it’s his third consecutive panto at the Royal) as Baroness Rita and, as usual wows the audience with a succession of fabulous costumes. What is equally as impressive is the fact that he designs and creates them all himself!

Also making a return this year is local actor Phil Corbitt, from Cullercoats, who teams up with Whitley Bay’s Steve Arnott to play Smelly and Nelly, the ugly sisters. The pair are brilliantly bad, entertainingly evil and wonderfully wicked, really making the most of being mean to poor old Cinders. The partnership works well and who’s to say that panto hasn’t found itself the new, definitive pair of Uglies?

Scooch’s David Ducasse is an affable Dandini, whilst West End musical theatre performers Matt Rawle and Donna Steele play Prince Charming and Fairy Godmother. It would have been great if the characters of Dandini and Prince Charming had been fleshed out a little more, as I felt that Ducasse and Rawle are slightly under-utilised. Steele, on the other hand, has been given a gem of a role as the ditzy, dotty newly-qualified Fairy Godmother and she grabs, with gusto, every opportunity to shine.

It isn’t only the casting of Steele and Rawle that brings a touch of West End sophistication to the proceedings – the production values are outstanding, too. Stunning sets, exquisite costumes, and a great musical score all contribute significantly to the overall effect.

Without wishing to be a killjoy and spoil the many other wonderful surprises that drew ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ aplenty on press night – and, without a doubt, will during the rest of the run – the transformation scene is particularly spectacular.

This production has raised the benchmark for pantomimes, not only in the North East but all over the country and I defy anyone, young or old, to leave the theatre without being completely enchanted. You’d be mad to miss it!

Steve Burbridge.

Cinderella runs until Saturday 16 January 2010.

16/12/09
PLEASE NOTE:  Due to personal circumstances, following the sudden death of a close friend, Roxanne Pallett has withdrawn from this production and the role of Cinderella will be performed by Amy Bruce.

Cinderella

Theatre Royal, Plymouth

Cinderella is ‘the greatest pantomime of them all!’ exclaim the posters and handbills at Plymouth Theatre Royal. Well, I’m always slightly sceptical about such tag-lines and I prefer to make my mind up for myself, thank you very much.

However, on this occasion, I must confess that the proclamation is absolutely spot-on. I should have known, really. After all, with this production having been written and directed by the King Midas of Qdos Pantomimes, Michael Harrison, and starring the sensational Lesley Joseph, it couldn’t be anything other than pure gold.

Michael Harrison has given audiences a production that exudes quality, sophistication and spectacle - not a corner has been cut, nor a penny pinched. The script retains the charm of the original fairy tale by Charles Perrault, but is given a spectacular 21^st century make-over with stunning special effects, lavish scenery and sets and fabulous costumes.

Lesley Joseph, one of this country’s most popular and versatile actresses, plays the Fairy Godmother and she magically flies onto the stage on a crescent moon. Miss Joseph, a panto favourite with audiences up and down the country, delivers a performance that is more than just a little reminiscent of Dorien from Birds of a Feather, one of her best-loved characters. Never taking herself too seriously, she incorporates slapstick, parody and elements of vaudeville into her interpretation of the role, delighting the audience in the process.

Matt Slack hurls himself wholeheartedly into the role of Buttons, arriving in an aeroplane and soaring straight into the hearts of the kids in the audience with his affable nature and cheeky charm. His talent for mimicry and physical comedy garners lots of laughs and his antics in the scenes with Lesley Joseph are hilarious.

Laura Evans plays the title role of Cinderella and is a delight as the heroine. Blessed with angelic beauty and a singing voice to match, she brings to the role a warmth and innocence that works wonderfully.

David Robbins and Martin Ramsdin don the frocks and false eyelashes to play the Ugly Sisters, Trinny and Susannah. Robbins, in his prosthetic nose, could be mistaken for Cherie Blair’s prettier sister and Ramsdin bears a slight resemblance to Vicky Pollard. Their costumes, wigs and head-dresses are fabulously outlandish and the pair make a hugely entertaining double-act.

Trevor Jary plays Prince Charming and Kevin Brewis is his effeminate valet, Dandini. Jary is the archetypal hero and shines in his musical numbers, whilst Brewis skilfully adopts the mannerisms and traits of the late Kenneth Williams to convey Dandini’s foppishness.

The ensemble perform energetically in the musical scenes which are effectively choreographed by Jon Bowles.

The Theatre Royal Babes are cast as Lesley Joseph’s troupe of little trainee fairies, Whitney, Britney, Myleene and Biggins, and they almost steal the scene from her in the number, Spread a Little Happiness.

However, it is the stunning transformation scene that has the audience gasping in wonder and amazement as Lesley Joseph, singing Anything’s Possible, waves her fairy wand and a golden invitation descends in a mini hot air balloon, before a cloud of dry ice and a pyrotechnic display herald the arrival of a glittering coach and an animated flying Pegasus. This is the stuff that magic is made of, sheer entertainment!

This production has raised the benchmark for all future professional pantomimes and should serve as a warning to other inferior production companies that Michael Harrison and Qdos Pantomimes intend to retain their position as the UK’s biggest and best pantomime production company.

It must be acknowledged, though, that amazing special effects, sumptuous sets, spectacular costumes and sparkling script would count for nothing without a consummate cast of actors to carry the story and engage with the audience – Cinderella ticks all the right boxes and its star, Lesley Joseph, emerges, triumphantly, as the undisputed Queen of Pantoland. Bravo!

Steve Burbridge.

Performances

Friday 19^th December 2008 – Saturday 24^th January 2009

Running Time

2 hours, 30 minutes (including interval) approximately

PLEASE NOTE: Performances of this production have now ended!

“Pantomimes are not what they were.” “Pantomime is no longer what it used to be.” “Pantomime seems at present to hold its own, I don’t see how it can continue to do so.”

The above quotes might easily be mistaken for recent press cuttings, but in actual fact they date from 1831, 1846 and 1882 respectively. The truth of the matter is that traditional family pantomime does still exist and it is positively flourishing. All over the country good old panto continues to break box office records, despite the fact that we live in a world where children are surrounded by computer games, DVDs and the Internet.

Mother Goose, at The Pier Pavilion in South Shields, is everything that pantomime should be. It’s filled with larger than life colourful characters, corny gags, song and dance routines, slapstick and family fun.

Fairy Happiness (Carol Cooke) sets the scene and introduces the audience to the dysfunctional Goose family, Mother (Stephen Sullivan), Silly Billy (Craig Richardson) and Colin (Kylie Ford) who are down on their luck and behind with their rent.

Stephen Sullivan’s Dame is as effervescent as a bottle of shook-up champagne and if his performance is powered by batteries then they must surely be the extra-powerful ones with the copper-coloured tops. Craig Richardson is sensational in the role of the daft and dippy Billy and he works the audience with flair and expertise.

Mark Lamb is fantastically fiendish as the dastardly Demon King and his performance of I Wanna Be Evil, in red leather flares and black flowing leather coat, puts the entire audience firmly under his wicked spell. He is perfectly complimented by Ruth Burn’s cameo performance as The Wicked Queen of Gooseland.

The combination of a great script, by Jon Parker and Mark Fairweather, and dynamic direction from Gareth Hunter results in a production that entertains, amuses and charms young and old alike.

Throw in a troupe of dancers from The Carley School of Dance and a live band and you have a good old fashioned traditional panto that represents great value for money.

Performances

Friday 16^th January 2009 to Saturday 24^th January 2009

Evenings at 7.30pm

Matinees at 2.00pm (Sat & Sun)

Running Time

2 hours, 30 minutes (including interval)

Tickets

£6.50   Adult

£4.50   Child

(Telephone 0191 4546612 to book)

www.westovians.org