Any prudishness will need to be left at the door as
Prudishness will need to be left at the door
There's also the pauper who is secretly a prince (Sarah Horton), an extravagantly villainous antagonist and a witty but suggestive dame all inverted in the bluest way possible. Normal pantos contain a healthy dose of double entendre, but here little is left to the imagination. The dame is actually Queen Gerty (Mike Newman), who references a seemingly endless collection of sexual encounters. The hilarious clown, Ham (Charlie Mackay), engages in a level of self-love that would be worthy of the most committed chimpanzee. Much like recent Disney reframing of their most despicable villains as misunderstood antiheroes, the villainous Maleficent (Jake Harvey) receives her own somewhat tragic backstory.
It's amateurish at times, sometimes by design and other times through genuine mistakes. For those wishing for a slick, impeccable performance, this is not the show for you. But, it's filled with charm, and it's clear the actors are having a raucous time. even if at the outset they don't fully carry us with them as energy is lacking and jokes struggle to land, but this all picks up in the second act with the most amusing set pieces all concentrated in the final 45 minutes. However, this is where the lines for the giant (Christopher Biggins) who was highly advertised in promotional material for the panto, occur. I say lines, there was one short reference to a notably larger appendage of the giant and no more. If you have come for Biggins, you will not be best pleased.
Another highly anticipated element of pantos, sing-alongs and musical hilarity, are here in spades. Not only does the cast boast some formidable singers, particularly the panto’s fairy guardian, Fairy Hanny (Zak Marx), but the lyrics of many of the songs are inspired. This made traditional panto scenes, such as the ghost in the forest “they're right behind you” sequence, side-splitting. However, the songs are also where my main gripe is to be found: the music was too loud at times, making understanding the amusing lyrics impossible. This was particularly the case for the song immediately before the interval: a fantastic adaptation of a musical theatre classic, given a healthy dose of vulgarity.
The writing is – mostly – highly amusing. The loose plot here serves its purposes well, providing a perfect opportunity to shove innuendoes into every orifice. Costumes are perfect to fit the roles, entirely pantomime-esque and camp, and the individual gag costumes are laugh-out-loud funny (especially those in an erotic dream sequence). The set and backgrounds are simple; nothing awe-inspiring, but perfectly creating each scene. Props range from sex toys to hula hoops, but fret not, creative solutions are found for these supposedly tame items to be transformed into another avenue for innuendo.
In the central plot the flamboyant Queen Gerty is searching for a suitable wife for her camp son, Rose, and is unaware of his sexuality. And camp is an understatement. Rose wears an outfit straight out of the kinky boots wardrobe. A major element is Gerty wanting her son to marry a woman, and the irony of a dame being unable to recognise the sexuality of her son is not lost. For such a camp production, it is strange that the central love interest of Rose is Prince Polonius, who, while a male character, is played by a female-presenting actor. It feels strange to retroactively reverse the gay centrality of the show with what ends up being a few straight kisses and a visually straight wedding.
Pantos have historically subverted traditional gender norms, but to do so against its very camp core seems an error. Furthermore, some jokes seem to be in poor taste. There are regular references to female-identifying characters played by male-presenting actors as having a big surprise for potential love interests. These jokes did feel a little insensitive given the strides that have been made for the transgender community in recent years. One does not expect social commentary in a pantomime, but I would have hoped for a little less crudeness when touching on these themes.
Overall, it's a satisfying, if not the best, seasonal night out.
