I can think of an original panto joke!
OH NO YOU CAN'T!
 |
| The Massive Poster Outside Piccadilly. |
 |
| Board no. 2 on Platform 5. |
There's glitter, there's glamour and all the cheese that one associates with a pantomime. There's also an awful lot of rowdy kids mind, and I had the misfortune of sitting in VERY close proximity to a young lad who thought it was the same story as the Disney Aladdin, and whinged the whole way through. Loudly.
 |
| Board no. 3 on Platform 3. |
Overall though, it's wildly enjoyable. No doubt the two glasses of free wine I had at the interval influenced my enjoyment, but they're a tight knit cast with a very good sense of humour. I've always had a soft spot for actors who can navigate the door through the fourth wall with ease; I'm a die-hard Rocky Horror fan, and this cast has no trouble with keeping jokes clear, easy to understand and with clarity between scripted and not. There was an excellent balance between humour for the kids, and humour for the adults, and Eric Potts as Widow Twanky was nothing short of a delight for a slightly tipsy student going out on a Tuesday night alone.
Musically, Ben Adams as Aladdin was the strongest cast member, as one would expect from the lead singer of band a1, but issues with levels meant there were no words to songs, but rather just a quiet melody that was vaguely recognizable as a pop tune. John Thomson’s number as Abanazer suffered a lot from this, due in part to him being the weaker singer. Now I'm all for a sleazy bad guy song, but this was just uncomfortably over-sexed.
Neil Henry as Wishee Washee was so beautifully cheerful that he could not help but bring a smile to your face, although it did seem a little surreal just how happy he was. His magic tricks were genuinely astonishing, and not at all “dumbed down” for the setting. A consummate performer, he even got the grouchiest of parents smiling and audience participation did not scare him at all.
In a direct contrast to Wishee, Sherrie Hewson, known as the manager of the Solana Hotel on Benidorm, was fabulously honest about her uncomfortable shoes and when she didn't like the script, openly said "well I didn't write it". A character for the kids, a character for the parents.
Overall, it's fabulous fun, although a few basic problems with levels did spoil the fun a bit for me. Four stars; take your kids, but bring those little cartons of white zin, because it's much better tipsy.
Merry *hic* Christmas.