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Post by talkingheads on Dec 26, 2018 15:41:30 GMT
A chance has come up to see Berwick Kaler's panto, just a question, what is the view like from the very front row, specifically seat 17 to the side? It's the only seat left in the stalls but is it a high stage?
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Post by David J on Dec 26, 2018 23:08:43 GMT
Dick Whittington at the Mayflower was good, not great.
Part of me was expected the Palladium sets to be the QDOS sets but on a larger scale, but they looked just about the same. The giant rat was awesome, less the flying bus.
Steve McFadden was the highlight relishing playing the baddie as King Rat. His family was also in so undoubtedly he was giving his 100%
Otherwise, the other performances were good, but not standouts. My least favorite was the comedian-playing-the-idiot we have this year which is Bobby Davro. Never seen his work before and whilst he can do a good round of impersonations half the time I couldn't understand what he was saying, he talked so fast. In fact, some of the others could do with slowing down.
Otherwise, it's business as usual. Andrew Ryan had plenty of innuendos up his sleeve as the dame. Sheila Ferguson gives a perfunctory performance as the fairy. Joe McElderry and Suzanne Shaw were good as Dick Whittington and Alice. I realized it's been a few years since the Mayflower had the 12 Days of Christmas routine so that returned.
I really go to these for the comedians billing the show and Davro didn't have the spark as Barry and Paul Chuckle, Julian Clary and Brian Conley in recent years. At least he wasn't Joe Pasquale
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Post by talkingheads on Dec 27, 2018 12:02:53 GMT
Well I've gone for it and booked Berwick Kaler's panto. A lovely trip to York from Dorset, never been to that part of the country, and getting to see a theatre legend at the same time is a huge bonus!
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Post by sf on Dec 27, 2018 13:30:50 GMT
Oldham Coliseum, yesterday afternoon. No big stars, no glitzy sets, obviously done within a fairly limited budget, but it's great fun (the Coliseum has always been very good at panto, and at this point it's probably what keeps them going). This year it's Cinderella; slightly wooden Cinders and Prince, VERY wooden fairy godmother and Dandini (same actress), excellent ugly sisters and Buttons, and Sue Devaney as the wicked stepmother is worth the cost of the tickets on her own, and then some. I had a great time, and my niece - 5-and-a-half - absolutely loved every second of it. Her little brother (nearly 3) wasn't so sure, and found it a bit scary, but he didn't take his eyes off the stage.
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 31, 2018 16:05:49 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2018 16:06:46 GMT
Well Lee Ryan left at Interval to go to the pub!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2019 17:57:32 GMT
Dick Whittington at the Mayflower was good, not great. Part of me was expected the Palladium sets to be the QDOS sets but on a larger scale, but they looked just about the same. The giant rat was awesome, less the flying bus. Steve McFadden was the highlight relishing playing the baddie as King Rat. His family was also in so undoubtedly he was giving his 100% Otherwise, the other performances were good, but not standouts. My least favorite was the comedian-playing-the-idiot we have this year which is Bobby Davro. Never seen his work before and whilst he can do a good round of impersonations half the time I couldn't understand what he was saying, he talked so fast. In fact, some of the others could do with slowing down. Otherwise, it's business as usual. Andrew Ryan had plenty of innuendos up his sleeve as the dame. Sheila Ferguson gives a perfunctory performance as the fairy. Joe McElderry and Suzanne Shaw were good as Dick Whittington and Alice. I realized it's been a few years since the Mayflower had the 12 Days of Christmas routine so that returned. I really go to these for the comedians billing the show and Davro didn't have the spark as Barry and Paul Chuckle, Julian Clary and Brian Conley in recent years. At least he wasn't Joe Pasquale I kind of agree. compared to last years it was a bit lacking. Bobby Davro and Sheila Ferguson were not that great. Steve McFadden should have had more to do as he was a brilliant villain. Joe and Suzanne were a bit of a revelation through. As much as I'm in no rush for Brian Conley to come back (especially as Buttons for the millioniath time) I do agree you need a comedian who can hold the show together. Davro could do his bits but didn't really fit into the rest of the show. Can we please get a bit more of the story back into panto, and also stop the over amplification. couldn't understand a word a lot of the time. |
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Post by talkingheads on Jan 26, 2019 19:21:19 GMT
Well my first experience of Berwick Kaler's 'rubbish' was utterly, utterly joyful. I've never witnessed a crowd reaction like it, the love from the room was extraordinary. Huge standing ovation. Otherwise, Suzy Cooper in particular was a delight and I laughed until I hurt. Is there any word on what's happening next year?
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Post by jhough87 on Feb 1, 2019 21:38:09 GMT
Well my first experience of Berwick Kaler's 'rubbish' was utterly, utterly joyful. I've never witnessed a crowd reaction like it, the love from the room was extraordinary. Huge standing ovation. Otherwise, Suzy Cooper in particular was a delight and I laughed until I hurt. Is there any word on what's happening next year? there's no word on nexts panto at the theatre royal they usually announce what it is on the final night (tomorrow) but as it Berwicks last performance they have said its a celebration of him and they are not announcing what the next panto is going to be. gif your local to Yorkshire on mon 4/2 inside out on bbc1 7.30 is doing something about Berwick and the panto. |
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Post by lou105 on Feb 3, 2019 8:07:15 GMT
Not surprisingly, lots of local coverage all week of Berwick Kaler's farewell. Biggins popped in with a lifetime achievement award from the Great British Pantomime Awards, local civic dignitaries with a Seal of Approval to add to his Freedom of the City, speeches from local lad Mark Addy and Damian Cruden etc etc. Final curtain at 11.20 apparently. He would probably call it the end of an error.
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Post by talkingheads on Feb 5, 2019 10:13:19 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2019 6:02:52 GMT
Question from another forum .. when did "non-seasonal pantos" become a thing? I've noticed Easter pantos popping up in the last couple of years, now we also have "Summer panto"  |
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2019 16:12:53 GMT
The Easter pantos have been going for a few years and seem to do well. I guess a lot of performers who now probably mainly work panto are happy to dust off their costumes for a couple of weeks well paid work.
Summer ones are a newer one to me but could work at seaside resorts but I tend to associate them with Xmas periods.
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Post by xanady on May 15, 2019 17:14:18 GMT
Loving Cheryl on the poster.A bulldog chewing on a wasp comes to mind.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2019 19:54:12 GMT
Spotted on twitter. The presence of Frank Carson and Freddie Garrity would have made this a pretty special evening anyway, but check out the young actor "direct from Emmerdale Farm" playing Cinderella!!  |
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Post by xanady on Jul 3, 2019 19:59:45 GMT
Had a massive crush on Ayshea Brough...just saying...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2019 0:54:17 GMT
Frank Carson was one of the legit funny guys who never had to be crude.
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Post by xanady on Jul 4, 2019 11:50:29 GMT
Just a few years before he passed,Les Dawson was doing a Blackpool summer show at the Winter Gardens with Keith Harris and Frank.
Les came on and said he had not been too well and said that Frank had volunteered to cover some of his stand-up routines to help out.Frank was always a team-player by all accounts and one of variety’s nice guys.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2019 14:10:48 GMT
Just a few years before he passed,Les Dawson was doing a Blackpool summer show at the Winter Gardens with Keith Harris and Frank. Les came on and said he had not been too well and said that Frank had volunteered to cover some of his stand-up routines to help out.Frank was always a team-player by all accounts and one of variety’s nice guys. Frank certain had an interesting history, he was a paratrooper in the late 1940's, killing people and being wounded himself in action. When he passed away, I can remember Chris Tarrant saying "God help them in heaven, now Frank Carson is up there".
He always seems to have been one of the good guys and widely respected by a lot of his peers.
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Post by talkingheads on Jul 26, 2019 10:00:49 GMT
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Post by lou105 on Jul 26, 2019 17:57:02 GMT
If anyone wants to see what York Theatre Royal produce, with Berwick only wielding a pen, there's a 2 for 1 offer for December 9-13. Need to book before end of July.
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Post by talkingheads on Sept 6, 2019 23:56:33 GMT
Just curious, I thought every panto had announced their star casting by now, but unless I've missed it New Wimbledon Theatre hasn't yet? Given they are known for having comics like Al Murray and Paul Merton make their panto debuts it seems quite late in the day to have no cast announced, if they want to shift any tickets that is!
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Post by talkingheads on Sept 16, 2019 11:40:41 GMT
Well as it's getting closer and closer to panto season, I'm travelling further afield than normal. I've booked to see the York panto as I had such a good time last year, and as I'm coming up from Dorset I'm popping over to Bradford to catch Paul Chuckle in Snow White, and then as I'm up that end of the country, heading to Crewe to see Cannon and Ball in Peter Pan. I'm even considering adding an extra day and going to Nottingham to see Sooty because I'm a very grown up 24 year old. It's a heck of a lot of panto for a few days but I'm an unashamed lover of it, to my mind it's the purest form of theatre, it exists purely to give joy to an audience.
Then later in December I've got the annual pilgrimage to the Palladium as well as the Hackney Empire too. I might even squeeze in New Wimbledon Theatre when they decide to announce a cast!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2019 15:39:01 GMT
I'll probably do my usual local Midland loop Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Malvern, Lichfield and possibly Redditch. The George Critchley one at Cannock is also usually a good show so if I hear good things about it then I may pop along.
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Post by LaLuPone on Sept 16, 2019 19:41:20 GMT
I don’t normally do panto at all, though I wish I’d seen Dick Whittington a few years ago just to see Elaine Paige in something, but this year I’m going to make the trip to Birmingham for Snow White mainly to see Jac Yarrow but it will also be great to see Lesley Joseph, I love Birds of a Feather.
Other 16-24 year olds, it looks like they’re doing £6 tickets for us all through January so pretty stupid not to go!
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