The audience were in fine voice this evening, doing a grand job with the call and response. The boundless energy from the cast was truly reflected through their reactions.Tonight was like a jukebox panto, giving us flashes of cleverly-placed classic well-known songs from many genres and decades. The scenery was incredible and the performers used the space and set well, appearing at points from various nooks and crannies in the scenery.
Theatr Clwyd brings back its famous Rock ‘n' Roll Panto for another season and this year in the form of Sleeping Beauty. Written by Peter Rowe we are treated to an evening of musical and vocal genius. The script is extremely funny, very current, including the likes of Prince Harry and Meghan and included a skit of a rugby match for Wales. Very clever.
Pantomime season is upon us again (oh yes it is!) and this year my first festive review is Dick Whittington by Fine Time Fontayne and Kevin Shaw hosted at the stunning Oldham Coliseum Theatre a hidden gem of a theatre tucked away in a side street of Oldham town centre. I was accompanied by my two lovely co reviewers aged nine years and five years old who eagerly awaited for the show to begin armed with their Flashing Rings and sweets purchased from the merchandise stand all flashing and highly attractive to the youngsters.
Regal Entertainments have done it again!.........Oh yes, they have! At the Theatre Royal, St Helens yet another fabulous pantomime hits the stage and as someone who has been to almost every panto they have presented my expectations are high and once again I am not disappointed.
This year the Grand Theatre Blackpool will stage one of the most enchanting rags-to-riches fairy tales of them all Cinderella with an all-star cast.
Featuring sumptuous costumes, magnificent scenery and the unmissable and magical moment when Cinderella swaps her rags for a stunning ball gown and is transported to the Prince’s Ball.
Filled with excitement, despite knowing this wonderful family favourite show like the back of my hand I pondered over what to expect. However, on entering the beautiful Art Deco theatre in Stockport there was an excited buzz from the audience. A large proportion of the audience consisted of many ‘munchkins’ on their anticipated journey over the rainbow, in disguise as excited children on their school holidays.
Pantomimes' larger than life style and often seemingly improvised approach can give the misconception that they are somehow 'thrown together' and can be somewhat 'cheesy'. However, done well they are a specialised art. The difficulty is you never know which you have gotten until you are in the midst of the performance.
Pantomime! In March?! I hear you cry..... well, stranger things have been known to happen and as part of The Garrick Academy of Performing Arts' (GAPA) productions this week, the youngest groups tackled the traditional story of Robin Hood and the Babes In The Wood.
10 days ago Sheffield’s City Hall was a blank canvas, then Manor Operatic Society moved in and converted the space into a fully functional conventional theatre complete with the capability to fly scenery in and out of the stage. This is a herculean task which the team at Manor take on twice a year, and the results in the past have been superb.
It always seemed odd that a big town like Huddersfield with a lively local theatre didn’t have an annual panto and now it’s back with a bang……Oh, yes it is.
The Lawrence Batley Theatre has gone for a decidedly old school pantomime, and it’s paid off worked judging by the enthusiastic audience participation from young fans especially as many of them will be getting their first taste of live theatre.
Ey up, it’s Cinderella don’t you know? She’s a right nice lass, and she’s coming to see all you folks in Barnsley’s Lamproom pantomime. Despite the range of places they trained at, there’s a distinct Yorkshire feel to the panto, particularly from Peter Foster as Buttons, who comperes the show with a ‘coooeeee’, he’s clearly the most confident of the cast, although his voice was a little croaky tonight, there were enough Barnsley jokes to make the audience chuckle.
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