Theatre

‘Berwick’s not the Dame this year!’

‘What?!!?’

I learnt this about ten minutes before we arrived at the opening night. My heart sank. Disappointment and confusion fought in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t imagine why Berwick Kaler, the best panto dame in the country, would write himself out of the biggest and best role. Ten minutes later I had the answer. Several answers in fact.

Ugly Sisters

1. So that he and Martin Barrass, his co-star and sparring partner, could team up to form an hilarious panto double-act, reminiscent in places of Morcambe and Wise.

2. So that Barrass in his first ever female role as one of the ugly sisters – Berwick is the other -  could be magnificently dragged up.

3. So that David Leonard could steal every scene he’s in (which is most of them as he plays two roles, Baron Stonebroke and Baroness Von Pratt)

4. And, as the more knowledgeable of you already knew, there is no Dame role in Cinderella (a more informed thespian type enlightened me).

Of course the first few minutes were still dodgy, because a trip to the panto is largely built on expectation and prior knowledge. You know who’s who and what’s going to happen. That’s the point, that’s why it works. To have that comfortable knowledge rattled, well it’s a little disconcerting at first.

But I needn’t have worried and I can’t believe I did.

David Leonard in a Julian Clarey moment!

However Baroness Von Pratt’s bubble of bile is popped each time Leonard has to rush off to change in to his Baron Stonebroke costume.

The laughter at his comedic despair each time he has to do this never wanes and his task is anticipated eagerly and made all the more difficult by the fantastic and endlessly changing scenery.

Baron Stonebroke’s home seems to have more doors than a giant fun house built next to a ten storey hotel and the beautiful, gradually revealed, Cinderella transformation scene forced gasps and tears of joy as the audience made its way out for the first half interval.

The show is amazing. In a way it’s too good. People in other parts of the country are being deprived. A video should be made of this show and distributed to every panto audience in the country, they’re missing out and it’s just not fair, they should at least know what they’re missing.

I’m left with a feeling of shame for the unlucky ones who won’t get to see this colourful, hilarious, brilliantly written and acted Northern luxury. But not to worry, that feeling’s counter balanced by a feeling of smugness for the lucky ones who will.

A nice cup of tea - make it all better!

Over to you Molly (aged 10)

I think going to this panto was brill. It was very funny, especially when people were getting drenched by mist, gunge, and water. At one point the ugly sisters came on stage on a real motorbike and then had to sit in a tank full of water. And then, when they spoke, their mouths were moving, but you didn’t know what they were saying because they were under water!

The Barron/Barroness was very funny at two points, first when he was wearing both the baron and baroness’s costumes and then when the ugly sister winked and said ‘the Barron is coming,’ and the wicked Barroness said, ‘oh, is he?’ and had to run off to get changed quick again!

At first you think Cinderella is a bit of a sissy, but she grows on you. I think that using real ponies when Cinderella goes to the ball is amazing.

So over all I would recommend it to everyone, every where.