A brilliantly professional, energetic and entertaining pantomime: the perfect show to bring your kids to at Christmas.
What a show – pantomimes don’t get any better than this. With a gag a minute and off-the-scale energy, this pantomime had the audience of all ages entertained and amazed from start to finish.
Loosely following the story of ‘The Little Mermaid’, the show focussed on a new character named Danny Crabstix (Danny Adams) and his calamitous nature as he struggled with losing the love of his life, Ariel, to Prince Eric. Walking in, the auditorium was transformed into the bottom of the ocean, with fluorescent fish decorating the walls rather than being confined to the stage. It was a classic panto set of rotating backdrops, with some impressive pieces to accompany. The lighting and special effects including smoke bubbles and pyrotechnics made it all the more magical, but I was most intrigued and impressed by the giant shark and seahorse chariot. They both were suspended in mid air, with the mechanics completely obscured to create a perfect illusion. A big hand to the prop and set team.
Another stand-out feature, as is expected in panto, was the costumes: there were endless costume changes with each one more fantastic than the last. The evil Sea Witch’s costumes were particularly spectacular. Hats off to Chris Hayward who played the Witch brilliantly, and actually designed his costumes and wigs himself.
The band, dancing and singing also were of a very high quality. Joe McElderry brought his fantastic voice, complete with some opera, and played the butt of the joke throughout with good humour. Well-known songs were adapted for the show, one of the best being an extra comedic version of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’. Slapstick comedy, mess and improv were not in short supply, however it also felt more sophisticated with the audience direction being more natural than in many pantomimes. The company made each ‘error’ so slick that they seemed truly accidental.
The show was written, directed and produced by Michael Harrison, and he brought his vision to life brilliantly. Danny Adams, Clive Webb, Chris Hayward and Joe McElderry were just some of the cast who made this show so good, but Danny was a stand-out performer with buckets of energy, and never missing an opportunity to make a joke. I think every child in the audience must have loved him.
The playfulness and genuine enjoyment of the actors doing their jobs was a joy to experience: the perfect Christmas night out to bring children to – just wear your raincoat if you’re sitting near the front!