UK Theatre Network

SUPERB panto this year at MK Theatre!

This is essential family entertainment this year and, for me, the best pantomime ever put on in MK theatre!
A fast paced show with a very strong cast, tons of music, great singing – very current tunes so easy to sing along to, very high energy dancing, lots of audience participation – well for some people!! At least try to look like you are enjoying yourself (sigh!). Gareth Gates hit the big time in 2002 in Pop Idol but more recently has concentrated on developing his theatre career with stints in Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and a critically acclaimed performance in Les Miserables. He is BRILLIANT, very sweet and funny, and with Nicola Brazil as the Princess the two of them are really charming. They both have gorgeous voices and their duets were believeable and romantic. 
There are tons of laughs and at times total hilarity - as always in panto not all of them planned! It’s Paul Burling’s role, as Wishee Washee to provide the majority of the laughs and he does not disappoint. This Britain’s Got Talent finalist is in his element, born to be on stage and a fantastic entertainer; one set of impressions will have you both laughing and astounded at the speed of them. He is perfect.
Widow Twanky (John Barr), is excellent, very sharp and quick, full of double entendres, but not in an overly smutty way; this is a big improvement on recent years when the humour has stepped over the line into being unsuitable for younger audiences. This year it was fabulous to see that this is truly family entertainment.
Major Pong (Chris Nelson) was suitably daft and silly. Abanazer (Adam Pearce) is incredibly strong, with great stage presence, a larger than life character with a belter of a voice; suitably bad and scared the living daylights out of a particular 4 year old!

The rest of the cast from adult to child and even elephant gave it their all! This is SUPERB cast from start to finish.
In addition to the cast, there is lots of glamour – and not just from Widow Twanky’s costumes! The genie of the ring and the genie of the lamp (Camilla Dallerup) were a treat for the men! There are truly gorgeous backdrops and scenery, all garishly coloured and smothered with glittering, sparkling sequins. There is a definite nod to Strictly here.
The added attraction at MK is the guest genies that will appear over the run - Russell Grant (20 – 24 Dec) and Anita Dobson (26 – 31 Dec) from this current season of Strictly. Camilla Dallerup will perform at all remaining performances except Fri 6, Sat 7 & Sat 14 Jan.
A real first class show, perfect family entertainment. But please, if you go, try and show some enthusiasm. It’s hard work being on stage so give something back and show some appreciation!

Run continues until 15 Jan 2012
Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office, Call 0844

8717652 (bkg fee) or visit www.atgtickets/miltonkeynes (bkg fee)  

Dick Whittington

The Tyne Theatre & Opera House

‘Three things are required at Christmas time; Plum Pudding, Beef and Pantomime; Folks could resist the former two; Without the latter none could do.’

Times may have changed since the above rhyme appeared on an old pantomime handbill, but sentiments haven’t and pantomime remains an integral and essential part of Christmas for many families and theatres across the country. Indeed, for many theatres, the panto is their lifeblood – it is what keeps them afloat financially for the rest of the year. For me, personally, a trip to see ‘the Geordie pantomime’ at the resplendent Tyne Theatre & Opera House, a Grade 1 listed theatre, situated in the heart of Newcastle, is as much a part of Christmas as turkey and all the trimmings.

The Newcastle Panto Company have brought their traditional brand of pantomime to the venue, annually, for a number of years now and audiences return in their droves, each festive season, to see stalwarts including ‘Maxie & Mitch’, Kevin O’Keefe, Charlie Richmond and Catherine McCabe do what they do best – make people laugh.

This year’s production of Dick Whittington brings together the familiar faces and introduces a couple of new ones. As usual, writer and director Brendan Healy has ensured that the show ticks all the right boxes: beautifully detailed sets and scenery; colourful costumes; comedy capers; Geordie dialects and references; boy meets girl; romance and adventure; good triumphing over evil, etc, etc. However, the winning formula has been somewhat changed and, as a result, the show suffers slightly because of it.

As usual, Billy Mitchell (Long John Slavver) and Max Peters (Captain Scuttle) are the comedy double-act that audiences know and love. Yet, without Kevin O’Keefe’s Dame to bounce off, they seem slightly disconcerted. Instead, we have Terry Joyce (making his pantomime debut as Bessie the Cook) serving up more irksome impressions than culinary cuisine and demonstrating a total unsuitability for the part, whilst Kevin O’Keefe is relegated to the dual role of Alderman Fitzwarren and The Sultan of Morocco – both of which are thankless parts, limiting him considerably.

Charlie Richmond retains the role of the simple sidekick, this year playing Idle Jack to Catherine McCabe’s principal boy, and he displays a great rapport with the children who are brought on stage towards the end of the show. Samantha Phyllis Morris, as Alice Fitzwarren, plays principal girl for a second consecutive year and does exactly what the role requires of her – looks attractive, sings sweetly and swoons over Dick Whittington.

Jayne Mackenzie (who was last with the company in Aladdin, two years ago) returns as a campy-vampy Queen Rat and, despite being the strongest singer in the cast, tends to deliver her dialogue with such volume that one might think she intended it to be heard in the auditorium of the Theatre Royal. Resident choreographer Emily Swan also plays possibly the most rewarding of all ‘skin’ parts, Moggie the Cat.

There’s no doubt that this particular version of Dick Whittington has all the hallmarks of a great pantomime, provided that some attention is given to certain scenes. With a bit of tightening here and a spot of trimming there, I’m sure that the Newcastle Panto Company will be back on top form faster than you can say ‘Ship Ahoy!’

Steve Burbridge.

Dick Whittington runs until 2 January 2012.

 

How do you get yourself in the mood for Christmas? Wrapping the presents? Work’s Christmas Night Out? Finishing the shopping? Taking the kids to see Santa? Well for me it is going to see a Pantomime (I usually see at least 10 each year!).

 

At Glasgow’s King’s Theatre it is a start studded panto indeed for Sleeping Beauty. I’d Do Anything Finalist Keith Jack as Prince Joseph of Jordan Hill, River City’s Lorna Anderson as Princess Beauty, Altered Images songstress Clare Grogan as evil fairy Carabosse and Rab C Nesbitt’s Jamesie Cotter, Tony Roper as her Henchman Hector and topping the bill Karen Dunbar. And Ms Dunbar proves why she is top of the bill for this pantomime, with a first half that was nearly a full cabaret show. Her energy and vocal talents shone in her rendition of Step Back In Time and her comic timing was evident throughout the show, but no better example than when dealing with shout outs from the audience – her quick wit making her a gem for panto. Her comedy “romance” with Tony Roper was a good pairing, allowing two comics lots of time to play and the clever reworking of West Side Story’s Maria is a comic performance not to be missed.

 

A revelation in this show was Lorna Anderson – her presence on the stage was excellent and she certainly matched (and on many occasion even topped) Mr Jack’s singing voice in their powerful duets. I would have liked to see her with a more “princess-y” dress for her “birthday party” but that is a minor issue in what is mostly a well costumed show. Top marks for this show must go to Musical Director/Arranger, Pamela Dunsmuir (or as the kids in the audience now know her, Auntie Pam), as the songs were well paced and sounded great, and her small live band were extremely tight on the night too. I am usually a fan of Eric Potts pantomime scripts, but did feel a slight lack of the usual “sparkle” or “magic” that the Kings Theatre usually produces, however as the cast get used to the show and continue to add their own topical material (there were already references to the hurricane and it was only just happening outside at that moment!) I’m sure this will return.

 

Rounding off the comics in the cast was Arron Usher as Jimmy Jingles the Jester. Although his first Kings Pantomime, his pedigree of many years working on the East Coast pantomimes certainly shines through. Although given the thin end of the wedge with the comedy dialogue (the big lines seem to have gone to the TV comics) his physical humour and interplay with the cast and audience more than make up for it. It is also pleasing to see the roles of the King and Queen delivered with some gusto – Kathryn Howden as Queen Fiona was a joy and her infectious laughter had me giggling whenever she spoke.

 

With many other highlights in the show including a Dragon, a clever version of “Happy Birthday” by Ms Grogan (who takes great relish in her evil performance in her very first pantomime – I’m sure she’ll be back!), a great chorus who dance exceptionally well, lavish walkdown costumes and more songs than you can shake a stick at this pantomime is a jam packed evening of entertainment. With the weather not getting any better outside, get a warm rosy glow from a great family show, that even the adults will enjoy.

 

Listings

Fri 2 Dec – Sun 8 Jan (please call the box office for full details)

Signed Performances: Wed 14 Dec 1pm & Wed 21 Dec 7pm

Audio Described Performances: Wed 14 Dec 1pm & Wed 21 Dec 7pm

Captioned Performances: Thu 22 Dec & Wed 28 Dec 2pm 

 

Ticket prices: £7.20 - £24.75

Box Office: 0844 871 7648 (bkg fee)

Schools and group bookings: 0844 871 7602

www.atgtickets.com/glasgow  (bkg fee)

Cinderella

Darlington Civic Theatre

It isn’t often that the titular character in Cinderella – or any other pantomime, for that matter - is one of the performers who stands out the most. Usually, the role of principal girl (Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Goldilocks) requires the actress ‘to do no more than look beautiful and sing well’, as a well-respected theatre critic and pantomime aficionado succinctly puts it. Indeed, principal girl may often be one of the most limiting and thankless roles in pantomime. However, it seems that Emma Stephens may have broken the traditional mould: her Cinderella is young, pretty and innocent – as she should be – but Miss Stephens skilfully ensures that she is also the central character. After all, the show is named after her and the plot revolves around her – why shouldn’t she occupy centre stage. Graciously and skilfully, Miss Stephens accomplishes this feat in a way in which she does not pull focus or upstage her fellow performers, nor indeed the headliners!

In fact, in this production, the stage time is shared out pretty evenly with no single personality dominating the proceedings. The cast, comprising Ray Quinn (X Factor, Dancing on Ice) as Prince Charming, Deena Payne (Emmerdale) as the Fairy Godmother, and Jimmy Cricket as Baron Hardup, all have an opportunity to shine as individuals, as well as in the ensemble scenes. For the most part, it is a strong, cohesive cast with each of the performers suiting their characters well and bringing something different to the proceedings. Ray Quinn does nothing to conceal his Liverpudlian accent, instead choosing to emphasise it and play the Prince as cheeky rather than charming, thus maximising upon the comic potential. Deena Payne’s Fairy Godmother is feistier than one might expect and the role, which is built up considerably to reflect her billing, has her performing a musical number of her own and a couple of duets with Cinders. And Jimmy Cricket is . . . well . . . just Jimmy Cricket – much to the delight of the audience.

Adam C. Booth, as Buttons, strikes up a great rapport with the kids and capably demonstrates that he possesses the versatility required to do the role full justice, with his singing, dancing, acting and comedy all being first class. Brian Godfrey, as Trinny, displayed his vast and indisputable experience of playing the Dame/Ugly with great aplomb and, in doing so, totally overshadowed the less experienced Darren Southworth’s portrayal of Susannah, though quite unintentionally, I’m sure. The only piece of casting which had me absolutely puzzled was that of ventriloquist Dawson Chance, and his puppet Willy the turtle, as the Broker’s Men. It should be clearly understood that I make no criticism of Mr Chance, nor Willy, when I say that the roles were completely inconsequential and totally superfluous, in that they did nothing to assist the narrative progression. On the plus side, though, the kids loved them both.

Overall, this production of Cinderella is a good one. Michael Vivian’s script provides a faithful re-telling of the classic fairy tale; it is beautifully designed and costumed; there is a nice balance of pop hits and original songs, and the choreography is tight and slick. Qdos may not bestow as big a budget on the Darlington production as they do on the panto in neighbouring Newcastle – for instance we do not have any 3-D special effects, nor does an animatronic flying Pegasus swoop over the audience to take Cinders to the ball – yet that is not to the detriment of the show. The pair of Shetland ponies, used to draw the pumpkin coach, delighted both young and old alike and served as an apt reminder that, in this particular panto, it isn’t just the Prince who is charming.

Steve Burbridge.

Cinderella runs until 15th January 2012.

 

 

 

To really get in the festive mood you need some Christmas songs, and there is no better way to hear them than sung by the Rat Pack legends (or actors who perform as them – and are as close to the real thing as we are ever going to get!).

This festive spin off of “Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas” has been a successful touring hit for many years, and there have been a number of Franks, Sammys and Deans who’ve performed the classic songs all over the world. Tonight Chris Mann opened the show as Frank Sinatra, the leader of the pack. With a velvet voice and equally velvet manner, it really did seem like Ol’ Blue Eyes himself was there. Usually with most “tribute” shows, they’ve mastered the voice and if you close your eyes you can imagine it is the star themselves, but Chris Mann has such a look of Sinatra that you can take in the whole performance wide-eyed. As if that wasn’t enough, Nigel Casey as Dean Martin seemed to not only look and sound like the star, but seemed to have the same charisma and charm that he was famous for. His interaction with the audience and his fellow performers made it feel like we really were sharing an evening in the Sands, Las Vegas while watching three of its biggest stars at play.

The third member of the Rat Pack on this show is Sammy Davis Jnr, and this is a very difficult performer to match. I suppose the strength of this kind of show is down to the cast and although George Long had the energy of Sammy Davis Jnr., his vocals didn’t seem to be quite as close a match as his fellow performers. All three were accompanied by Nikki Stokes, Laura Parkes and Jennifer Owen as the Burelli sisters. A fantastic trio who wowed with three part harmony and tight choreography to bring the glamour of these nightclub shows to life. They were also assisted by a fantastic (brass heavy) live band, who gave the whole evening a fantastic sound, and I think received an even bigger applause than the singers for their work. I had never known a trombone could be so tuneful as was shown during the solo from Andy Watson in “I Got You Under My Skin”.

The simple staging of this show is one of its best features. The setting is deliberately intended to hark back to the golden era of the Rat Pack, and the use of lead mics, and the clever choreography required to use them well, is a nice touch that when added to the subtle lighting, grand piano and stunning costumes, provides a classy evening of festive glamour that would certainly be worth raising a mulled wine to!

Listings

Mon 5^th Dec – Sat 10 Dec

Mon – Sat eves: 7.30pm

Thuu & Sat mats: 2.30pm

Tickets: £11 - £29

Box Office: 08448 717 647 (bkg fee)

www.atgtickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)

MProductions’ highly popular evening of our favourite musical theatre tunes is back… and this time we’re on tour! Featuring legendary songs from shows such as American Idiot, Into the Woods, Shrek and Hair, the show is coming to venues in Milton Keynes & St Albans.

Steeleye Span dominated the uncluttered, simple stage decorated with just 3 white hanging banners emblazoned with a simple band logo and with almost none of the ubiquitous flashing lights one expects at a concert with the word rock in the genre label. This is a band who knows their music speaks for itself and are totally comfortable in each other’s and our presence. I will confess I am not a big fan of folk rock and only knew Steeleye Span’s bigger hits but they completely won me over with their impeccable musicianship, fabulous voices, range of songs and gentle humour. Amid the five male musicians, in a coat of many colours, stands the charismatic Maddy Pryor with a shock of blonde hair. The image in my mind from the last time I saw her with the ‘Maddy Prior band’ back in the 80’s, is with long raven hair but perhaps this is just a trick of my faulty memory.

The first half of the night is dedicated to a revisiting of the ‘Now we are Six’ album to coincide with a brand new recording called ‘Now We are Six Again’ some 35 years and change after the original. One wonders if it is not also a chance to reclaim their album from the corporate clutches of Chrysalis records, long gone having disappeared in a whirl of corporate mergers, now Sony by my reckoning but don’t quote me on that.

When Maddy and fiddle player Peter Knight perform a playful combative version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star the penny drops as to the origin of the ‘Now We are Six‘ title, the much loved Winnie the Pooh book. In contrast to children’s nursery rhymes was the fabulous ‘Edwin’ with a dark moody start and the classical acoustic violin swapped for a solid electric with a big fat sound to it all backed by the solid driving rhythm section of Liam Genockey on drums with Rick Kemp on bass. For me the surprise end to part one was Phil Spector’s ‘To Know Him is to Love Him’, they told us, on their original recording the sax part was played by David Bowie though we got to hear the excellent multi instrumentalist Pete Zorn play.

Not one to put her feet up, during the interval Maddy was in the foyer tirelessly selling raffle tickets to support causes dear to her heart as she laughed and joked with the audience. The second set started with a Xmas flavour, ‘Today in Bethlehem’, the medieval ‘Sing We the Virgin Mary’ and, a personal high point, an a cappella rendition of ‘Bright Morning Star’ showing off the bands rich harmonies; beautiful. This was followed by some of the rockier moments with tracks from the ‘Bedlam Born’ album followed by a positively psychedelic rendition of Bonny Black Hare.

The night could only end with All Around My hat and to send us off in the Christmas spirit Gaudete. A great night was had by one and all.


Future tour dates visit http://www.parkrecords.com/tourdates.php
Tue 29th Nov Borough Theatre Abergavenny
Wed 30th Nov St George's Bristol
Fri 2nd Dec Hall For Cornwall (HFC) Truro
Sat 3rd Babbacombe Theatre Torquay
Mon 5th Dec Reading Concert Hall Reading
Tue 6th Dec Birmingham Town Hall Birmingham
Wed 7th Dec Roses Theatre Tewkesbury
Thu 8th Dec Roses Theatre Tewkesbury
Fri 9th Dec Salisbury City Hall Salisbury
Sun 11th Dec Farnham Maltings Farnham
Mon 12th Dec New Theatre Royal Portsmouth
Wed 14th Dec Bedford Corn Exchange Bedford
Thu 15th Dec The Castle Wellingborough
Fri 16th Dec Apex Bury St Edmunds
Sat 17th Dec Eastbourne College Theatre Eastbourne
Sun 18th Dec Martlets Hall Burgess Hill
Mon 19th Dec Barbican Centre London
Tue 20th Dec St George's Concert Hall Bradford

To find out What's on at The Waterside and book tickets: Box Office: 0844 871 7607 (bkg fee) Groups Hotline: 0844 871 7614 Access Booking: 0844 871 7677 (bkg fee) Online Booking: www.agt.com/aylesbury (bkg fee)

Reviewed by:
Pete Benson
28th November 2011

CHRISTMAS CROONERS

WHITLEY BAY PLAYHOUSE

It may not be Christmas just yet but, with the temperatures dropping, winter is definitely upon us, so why not kick off the festive season a little early. With pantomime season nearly upon us, Theatre 1^st Ltd is bringing Christmas Crooners to various theatres around the UK and Ireland to provide a bit of seasonal cheer – and, judging by the large audience tonight, it’s something people really want this year.

As the lights went down the curtains opened to reveal a simple but practical set, consisting of a fire place, Christmas tree, rocking chair and a few other items.  Its design succeeded in bringing a homely feel and brought back memories of the video for Bing Crosby and David Bowie’s “Little Drummer Boy”. The live band “The Jazz All Stars” were also on stage and blended in well with the overall feel and visual.

The four piece band led by the show’s Musical Director (Martin Hughes) on piano, was excellent and played with a perfect laid back swing feel. The show itself pays homage to Christmas favourites from Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, with a few other swing numbers thrown in for good measure.

To perform the music of such legendary vocalists is challenging enough, but to become those singers in look, manner and voice is a huge ask of any performer. The show, therefore, really requires three exceptional performers to achieve what it sets out to do.

Chris Vincent as Bing Crosby is very much the glue that holds the show together and he produced a great performance. Not only does he have a more than passing resemblance to Bing, but the attention to detail in his mannerisms, vocal tone and inflection were superb. A few times, when the lighting was subdued, you could actually be mistaken for thinking you were watching the original. Robert Grose , as Nat King Cole, brought a fantastic level of energy and charisma to the role but, while his songs were all well sung, he never quite got the gentle and subtle Nat King Cole tone.

As I previously mentioned the show requires three exceptional performances and unfortunately this was where the production fell slightly short. While Bing and to a large part Nat were brought to the Playhouse stage, unfortunately Frank didn’t make an appearance. Instead we got Jonny Parker whose suspect vocals and lack lustre characterisation (an American accent and a hat does not make you Sinatra), really pulled the show down. 

That being said, Director Stephen Leatherland, has created a solid show with a great relaxed, almost informal feel about it. The song selection was fantastic featuring all the classic Christmas songs (White Christmas, Jingle Bells, Let It Snow), add to that some cheesy gags and a bit of audience participation, and the audience headed out into the cold, humming a tune and feeling suitably festive.

Reviewed by Gareth Hunter