Its that point of yr once more, OH YES IT IS! Pocket Size Theatre’s 2022 Pantomime Preview
This yr the Pantomime headlines might be grabbed by the 2 star-led, high-production worth reveals in London on the London Palladium and the Duke of York however there are many different excellent reveals all-round the United Kingdom providing an excellent Christmas household journey to the theatre. The Pantomime web site ITS BEHIND YOU DOT COM – The Magic of Pantomime diary lists round 250 skilled pantomimes across the nation this yr, so there’s sure to be a present close to you. The Charity UK Pantomime Association seeks to have a good time the easiest of Pantomime with its Awards and previous winners are one information to which reveals to e-book for.
The London Palladium makes a welcome return to correct storytelling pantomime this yr after two variety-style productions with Jack and The Beanstalk and we will count on some stage magic for the climactic finish of Act 1 climbing the beanstalk scene. However, it’s the addition of Alexandra Burke (2021 Best Mythical Being Pantomime award winner) and Dawn French (2019 Best Villain Nominee ) that actually catches the attention. They be part of the acquainted line up together with Julian Clary (Best Principal boy 2017 winner) so count on some outrageous grownup double entendre, Paul Zerdin and Nigel Havers. These spectaculars have received, Best Special Effects 2017 & 2018, Best Musical achievement & Best staging 2017, Best main man, Villain, Script, and Best Pantomime in 2018 and Best Ensemble & Best Costumes in 2020.
Down in Covent Garden on the Duke of York, Sir Ian Mckellan returns to the place he triumphed as King Lear as Mother Goose with the sensible John Bishop as her husband Vic, and Anna-Jane Casey because the Goose. After the London run, they tour to Chichester, Sheffield, Wolverhampton, Liverpool, Oxford, Dublin and Cardiff till the top of March recreating a Nineteenth-century custom of Pantomimes operating exterior of the Christmas season. At the Lyric Hammersmith (2021 Best Panto, script and supporting actress) they current Jack and The Beanstalk with Jack performed by Leah St Luce and Jill by Maddison Bulleyment giving it a contemporary twist.Just exterior London at Richmond in Surrey (which received finest villain in 2019) TV host Matt Baker is joined by the Grand Dame, Nigel Ellacott (UKPA Lifetime Award winner 2021) in Goldilocks and the Three Bears together with magician Phil Hitchcock in what guarantees to be an entertaining present at this pretty Frank Matcham designed theatre. At High Wycombe’s Swan Theatre, you’ll be able to see the pantomime debut of TV star, Vernon Kay as Dandini in Cinderella and at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre it’s Sleeping Beauty with Ore Oduba (recent from his Rocky Horror Tour), Carrie Hope Fletcher (who starred just lately in Andrew Lloyds Webber’s Cinderella), ventriloquist Max Fulham (2020 Award winner) and the sensible common Ben Roddy (2018 Best Dame Winner). Marlowe’s casting suggests they’re decided to match final yr’s present, Jack and the Beanstalk which received Best Pantomime & Best Director Awards. Just north of London Watford Palace (2021 Best staging winner) presents Beauty and the Beast. But there are effectively over twenty Pantomimes throughout the M25 and a few simply exterior so there’s lots for the London audiences to decide on between.
At the opposite finish of the UK, In Scotland,
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The Kings Panto Edinburgh has moved to The Festival Theatre for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with the irrepressible Allan Stewart as Auntie May with Grant Stott and to the west, at Glasgow Kings the charming Elaine C Smith (previous winner of Best Fairy 2018) returns with Jonny Mac in Beauty and the Beast. Both venues are previous winners of Best Pantomime in 2019. These are Scottish panto royalty!Over in Belfast on the Grand Opera House is Cinderella with native star attraction May McFettridge returning and directed and choreographed by Jonny Bowles ( 2022 Best choreography winner).
In the North of England, you’ll be able to see humorous man Ben Nickless (Best Comic 2019) as Smee to Jason Mountford’s Captain Hook in Peter Pan at Opera House, Manchester and the hilarious clown, Danny Adams (Best Comic 2018) returns with Joe McElderry and Flawless in on the Newcastle Theatre Royal (Best lighting 2019) in Cinderella. On the West coast seaside resort of Blackpool at The Grand (Best script 2019 , Best Choreography 2020) you’ll be able to see the madcap Steve Royle as Silly Billy in Sleeping Beauty with Hayley Tamaddon (Dancing on ice) and mix it with the brand new addition of the Blackpool Pleasure Gardens pantomime of Cinderella with Charlotte Dawson (Les Dawson’s daughter).
In the Midlands, the massive
Birmingham Hippodrome (Best Pantomime 2017, Best Lighting 2018 winner, Best Sound 2020) presents one other spectacular present with Suzanne Shaw, Dr Ranj and Marti Pellow becoming a member of among the best panto comics Matt Slack (Best Comic 2017, Best Songsheet 2018 winner) in Dick Whittington. At Derby Arena (Best set design 2018), Aladdin is the present with John Thomson (Cold Feet) and Morgan Brind (2021 Best Dame). In Northampton Royal and Derngate we’ll see Jack and the Beanstalk with Keala Settle (from the Greatest Showman), Bob Golding (2019 Best supporting male) and Richard David-Caine (2020 Best villain). At Chesterfield Winding Wheel Michele Collins stars in Sleeping Beauty. All these reveals should be effectively price a go toThis yr the Pantomime Awards might be visiting over 250 Pantomimes across the UK with the Awards being introduced in April 2023. Pocket Size Theatre expects to publish opinions on round twenty pantomimes over the Christmas season.
Article by Nick Wayne