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Post by talkingheads on Dec 14, 2018 8:24:27 GMT
Wolverhampton's Sleeping Beauty is good but not great. The story has been slightly convoluted and a lot of the action is carried by Richard Cadell with Sooty who still seems to appeal to all ages. This is apparently Richard's first panto for 15 years. Debbie McGee is a fun good fairy and seemed to be having a hoot as she had several fits of giggles. Ian Adams is always a good Dame and director whilst Doreen Tipton has lots of good local jokes. Oliver Ormson aka Mr CHF is underused if anything as the Prince but is in fine voice during his numbers. Having seen a lot of pantos Ian has directed at Lichfield and Wolverhampton this isn't one of his best but through no fault of his as his others were really good. I don't regret seeing it and would tell people it is a good show but not one I'd say go out of your way to see. I have a lot of time for Richard Cadell, I'm 23 and still go and see the Sooty live shows he puts on, so much work goes into them, and he stayed for hours after to meet everybody, a lovely guy. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2018 13:27:22 GMT
Wolverhampton's Sleeping Beauty is good but not great. The story has been slightly convoluted and a lot of the action is carried by Richard Cadell with Sooty who still seems to appeal to all ages. This is apparently Richard's first panto for 15 years. Debbie McGee is a fun good fairy and seemed to be having a hoot as she had several fits of giggles. Ian Adams is always a good Dame and director whilst Doreen Tipton has lots of good local jokes. Oliver Ormson aka Mr CHF is underused if anything as the Prince but is in fine voice during his numbers. Having seen a lot of pantos Ian has directed at Lichfield and Wolverhampton this isn't one of his best but through no fault of his as his others were really good. I don't regret seeing it and would tell people it is a good show but not one I'd say go out of your way to see. I have a lot of time for Richard Cadell, I'm 23 and still go and see the Sooty live shows he puts on, so much work goes into them, and he stayed for hours after to meet everybody, a lovely guy. I met Richard after the panto and he was a top guy, he chatted briefly about Sooty and knowing Matthew Corbett who was my Sooty era presenter. He owns the Sooty rights so obviously puts in great effort with his own shows. |
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Post by talkingheads on Dec 15, 2018 15:20:04 GMT
I'm afraid I can officially declare Wimbledon's offering this year just 3 stars. Nowhere near the standard of last year, alas. Merton doesn't connect with the kids, Firman does but his magic act is dull, and Lee Ryan is in the show. The minor characters are far better. More on my blog if anyone is interested. Where can I find your blog? I agree it isn't the best panto, but I admit I went purely for Merton, he speaks with such affection about the variety era and has a near encyclopedic knowledge on the history, I thought he and Firman were the best part. Funny you say it wasn't up to the standard of last year, I thought that one was pretty poor bar Clive Rowe! I do hate the 3D stuff though, you have experienced artists on the stage, use them! |
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 15, 2018 17:27:31 GMT
Can I throw out a question (not being a regular pantomime goer, although I did get to the Palladium I'm tempted to go to one of the big pantomimes this year).
When I was growing up, I always thought that pantomimes were mostly local productions (and the nearest we got to star casting was Jet from Gladiators).
Now they're big productions, with name celebrities and with (it seems) a few major operations dominating.
For a company like QDOS, which is running around 30 pantomimes this year, with mostly the big name pantos like Cinderella, will all of their productions of any particular pantomime use the same book, similar staging etc? Or is this all very bespoke by venue? I know they do change things based on the star casting, but are there just slots which they leave open for the stars to do their thing?
A side question. I see that Southampton, for example, is running what's listed as "Dick Whittington - The London Palladium Production". How does that work, in that my experience of the Palladium was that 90% of it was scripted around the stars and their variety acts? The cast here is completely different, so how much of the Palladium production would actually survive?
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Post by kathryn on Dec 16, 2018 8:59:03 GMT
Had a whale of a time at the Hackney Empire Aladdin last night. At least a hundred times better than the QDOS show I saw in Southend last year. We’ve decided that we need to drag everyone else along with us to it next year!
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Post by jgblunners on Dec 16, 2018 9:45:14 GMT
It must be at least 10 years since I last saw a panto and I tried but failed to see the past two Palladium ones, so I decided to bite the bullet and go for a nice mid-stalls ticket for Snow White. Can't wait!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 10:32:20 GMT
Southampton has the Palladium sets and many of the costumes, especially the ensemble. Some of the leads too.
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Post by comporhys on Dec 16, 2018 12:22:48 GMT
Went to see the final Berwick Kaler panto last night in York - a fitting send-off to his 40 years as Dame, with a “storyline” about his inability to complete a script on time and the cast trying to work out what the story is. Great fun! Will certainly miss Berwick and his company of actors next year.
An added bonus was being sat next to the legends Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter for the show - just about managed to resist embarrassing myself in front of them...
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 16, 2018 15:06:32 GMT
I have seen several pantos already this season and the Hackney Empire was just glorious! The atmosphere in the theatre was wonderful.
Standards vary enormously - I wont mention the worst but I find QDOS pantos very corporate and although the production values are high the shows are lacking in heart. One such panto I saw last week was very lazy - running just 2 hours 10 minutes including a 20 minute interval. The leads seemed to be merely marking it through with several references to "we have to do this all again later" and "12 shows a week". Low energy levels all round and only the first week of a four week run!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 15:47:29 GMT
Not exactly a Panto but went to Christmas Spectacular at B'ham Symphony Hall with London Concert Orchestra, Capital Voices with guest vocalists Kerry Ellis, Tim Howar, Kimberley Wyatt and Laura Pitt-Pulford. A very good concert but maybe a 2-2 female-male vocalist split would have been better as Tim seemed to carry a load and Laura only did 3 numbers.
If anyone knows B'ham Symphony Hall there is a big walkway through and after the show I went to the internal stage door as I thought Tim might pop out or possibly Kerry and I'd noticed the steward on there was a chap I've spoken to many times and he'd said he was going travelling across Asia for a couple of months and this was first time I'd seen him since he was back. He said the artists were on a coach so would likely go straight out the back but as I was chatting to him I saw some lads laughing and whistling at a nearby window. A downstairs room next to SD was being used as a costume store and the blinds weren't closed the dancers were handing their costumes back to wardrobe person. But one gorgeous dancer stripped off her costume in the room and did a most elegant ballet lean forward naked but for a tiny thong. No-one inside the room had rumbled what had happened and said lads moved on.
The steward said he'd remind companies to close the blinds in future as there have been jokes about people looking up and seeing stars in the main dressing rooms which look out onto the concourse a level or so up forgetting to close the blinds. Anyway as I was finishing chatting to the steward said daring dancer walks out of stage door clothed asking which way to coach, we both kept a straight face and thought it best not to mention it to her as she might have been upset and embarrassed having provided a peep show.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2018 18:11:45 GMT
Pantos shouldn't run too long though, you don't want to kill the cast stone-dead when you get to a twelve-show week, and the audience is guaranteed to have a large number of youngsters who just aren't ready to deal with a 3+ hour running time like a Royal Court or Old Vic patron might be.
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 17, 2018 18:23:19 GMT
I certainly don't want a panto to run 3 hours - far too long. However, I did feel that the running time of Act One 55 mins and Act Two 55 mins with a 20 minute interval giving a running time of just 2 hours 10 minutes was a bit thin!
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Post by Jon on Dec 17, 2018 18:33:24 GMT
How long are pantos planned in advance as Wimbledon and Richmond have next year's pantos on sale already!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2018 19:18:22 GMT
pretty far in advance, although the titles sometimes change if casting proves an issue (or opportunity). And all qdos venues have announced for next year, or the vast majority at least. They generally announce around the time the current years panto is about to open
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2018 1:30:03 GMT
Next year's show is often announced when the current year one opens - often plugged in the programme. No doubt hoping people enjoy it and rebook for next year.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2018 11:13:12 GMT
The shows effectively run on a roster by the main Producers and if they have two venues fairly close together - take my two local QDOS panto venues - Birmingham Hippodrome and Wolves Grand then they will look to keep their shows different for a few years as they go through the usual suspects.
It can also depend no doubt on if there is a mainstay returning each year in the cast say Billy Pearce - Bradford, Clive and Danny - Newcastle etc. Then they may look outside the main shows to give the talent something different to do on occasion.
Also competing producers may look to vary if one gets in early and say announces Cinders for next year another who might have been planning Cinders might do Snow White or Dick Whittington instead now.
Plus some stars do certain Pantos and might have agreed a year or so ahead where they will be especially if they have gone further afield one year. Lets say a star agrees to go down to Plymouth - good theatre but maybe a fair trek for a London based performer but in return they get Bromley, Woking or say Milton Keynes the next year so they can get home each night.
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Post by Jon on Dec 18, 2018 16:29:53 GMT
The shows effectively run on a roster by the main Producers and if they have two venues fairly close together - take my two local QDOS panto venues - Birmingham Hippodrome and Wolves Grand then they will look to keep their shows different for a few years as they go through the usual suspects. It can also depend no doubt on if there is a mainstay returning each year in the cast say Billy Pearce - Bradford, Clive and Danny - Newcastle etc. Then they may look outside the main shows to give the talent something different to do on occasion. Also competing producers may look to vary if one gets in early and say announces Cinders for next year another who might have been planning Cinders might do Snow White or Dick Whittington instead now. Plus some stars do certain Pantos and might have agreed a year or so ahead where they will be especially if they have gone further afield one year. Lets say a star agrees to go down to Plymouth - good theatre but maybe a fair trek for a London based performer but in return they get Bromley, Woking or say Milton Keynes the next year so they can get home each night. I notice Shane Richie is doing Robin Hood in Bristol next year after doing it in Milton Keynes this year, I'm guessing he's done a similar arrangement with Qdos. Steve McFadden has mentioned in interviews that he enjoys travelling to different cities for panto because it's a nice break from EastEnders. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2018 16:55:39 GMT
I guess some like to travel others don't, some may like a coastal town or could have family living nearby so the attraction of being near London may be lesser for some.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2018 21:32:01 GMT
The shows effectively run on a roster by the main Producers and if they have two venues fairly close together - take my two local QDOS panto venues - Birmingham Hippodrome and Wolves Grand then they will look to keep their shows different for a few years as they go through the usual suspects. It can also depend no doubt on if there is a mainstay returning each year in the cast say Billy Pearce - Bradford, Clive and Danny - Newcastle etc. Then they may look outside the main shows to give the talent something different to do on occasion. Also competing producers may look to vary if one gets in early and say announces Cinders for next year another who might have been planning Cinders might do Snow White or Dick Whittington instead now. Plus some stars do certain Pantos and might have agreed a year or so ahead where they will be especially if they have gone further afield one year. Lets say a star agrees to go down to Plymouth - good theatre but maybe a fair trek for a London based performer but in return they get Bromley, Woking or say Milton Keynes the next year so they can get home each night. I notice Shane Richie is doing Robin Hood in Bristol next year after doing it in Milton Keynes this year, I'm guessing he's done a similar arrangement with Qdos. Steve McFadden has mentioned in interviews that he enjoys travelling to different cities for panto because it's a nice break from EastEnders. A few years back The Mayflower in Southampton switched Peter Pan for Robin Hood. It was rumoured at the time that the Hoff was meant to be Hook, I don't know if he pulled out but the official story was they had the opportunity to have Shane and Jessie as Robin and Marion and they couldn't refuse such a great opportunity . It kinda backfired as it got lukewarm reviews and wasn't a mega seller. Shane has been Robin ever since, but not with Jessie |
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Post by jhough87 on Dec 19, 2018 10:33:12 GMT
we're booked in to see Berwick Kalers usual nonsense pantomime the 2nd Jan, we put our names in for the final night ballot but missed out this year managed it the last 3yrs. In our house we are having bets on who's going to take over next year. I think it could be the villain David Leonard.
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Post by Phantom of London on Dec 19, 2018 19:16:49 GMT
It’s only going to be a matter of time before we have ‘Pantomime Goes Wrong’, that subject is gagging to be done.
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Post by fiyero on Dec 19, 2018 21:19:33 GMT
A side question. I see that Southampton, for example, is running what's listed as "Dick Whittington - The London Palladium Production". How does that work, in that my experience of the Palladium was that 90% of it was scripted around the stars and their variety acts? The cast here is completely different, so how much of the Palladium production would actually survive? This part has intrigued me since they announced it. It isn't just a different cast, it is a vastly different cast, Phil Mitchell Playing the same part as Eva Peron! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2018 21:24:47 GMT
It’s only going to be a matter of time before we have ‘Pantomime Goes Wrong’, that subject is gagging to be done. That territory has kind of been broached with Peter Pan Goes Wrong, whilst Peter Pan was not strictly a devout Panto in this adaption the basis was there. |
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Post by talkingheads on Dec 22, 2018 16:24:40 GMT
After a bit of a binge on the big pantos in London, my local theatre's Dick Whittington was a delight, Chris Jarvis (a wonderful CeBeebies presenter) really knows who whip a panto crowd into a frenzy!
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Post by properjob on Dec 24, 2018 16:46:15 GMT
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