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Post by theatremadness on Dec 22, 2016 23:17:08 GMT
Dick Whittington next year. Tickets on sale soon according to Baz!!!!
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421 posts
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Post by carmella1 on Dec 23, 2016 15:31:05 GMT
She is wrong because nothing about her says 'Cinderella' to me. And Prince Cgarming could have had a spark about him in someone else's hands- something beyond Lee Mead. Your views about Lee Mead have been around for years. You do not and never will like him. Tiresome. |
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Post by Tibidabo on Dec 26, 2016 9:42:16 GMT
We saw the late Christmas eve performance of this and had a blast. A few thoughts - I'd read the reviews on here and maybe had a few expectations.
Agree that Paul Z was fantastic - the perfect Buttons and stunning acts with his puppet, Sam.
Julian and Paul O'G were completely brilliant as you'd expect with perfect timing, irreverence, total respect to the other actors, etc.
Nigel Havers was surprisingly delightful! A great sport as the butt of many jokes and a better comedian than I'd expected him to be.
Lee Mead has such a lovely voice - sound department need to turn up his mike (or turn Cinders' down) during the duet at the ball. (What WAS that song? I'd thought it was something current not on my radar, but was informed by teenager that it most certainly was not. Disappointing choice.)
Love Changes Everything with Lee, Cinders and Buttons was hilarious - seeing the comedy side of Cinderella was the only thing I liked about her - sorry - but I couldn't see the little girls engaging or desperately wanting her to hook her prince.
The 'act' playing the Baron creeped me out. Didn't like him at all and glad he didn't have much stage time.
Talking of mucho stage time - Amanda. Loads. To be fair, there were pockets around the theatre who had obviously come to see her. She got mildly cheered and clapped on entrances and obviously has fans. (I no longer question people's taste!) She can't sing and presents everything in the style of her forehead. Unmoving.
Now. I probably need to now retire to the Bad Behaviour at a Show thread. But not for the reason you're thinking. I cannot believe how hard the cast had to work this Christmas eve audience. I have seen provincial panto on school days with the the sum total of the audience being the local old people's home bussed in and can honestly say the cast did not have to sweat so much. The audience was on the quiet side. So disappointing. Very few children and the ones around us were silent, their parents doing all the whooping. Paul Z got people going and Paul O'G finally got people booing but I was scared for his dicky heart, so hard did they all have to work. So many jokes receiving not a flicker - I can honestly say that my offspring and I were the only 2 people in the whole theatre who laughed at the Romeo and Juliet/Julius Caesar line from Nigel (as he was called throughout the show!) Don't get me wrong - people were laughing and booing, but it all had to be worked extra hard for. Standing ovation at the end where I was too, so people enjoyed it - just didn't want to join in!
Costumes are stunning - I loved the ensemble's ball scene get-up and I didn't notice/care about the set.
I would book for next year but, having seen who Qdos have in some of their other pantos around the country from the back page of the programme, I will wait until the cast is announced. However, it was fun, professional and a great day out. GO! Enjoy!
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Dec 26, 2016 10:00:48 GMT
These huge expensive "professional" pantos leave me cold. It always the local little panto or nothing for me.
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1,936 posts
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 26, 2016 10:46:22 GMT
I have seen 3 QDOS pantos this year including this one and the common denominator is "soulless". Yes, they all have high production values, relentless pace, attack and energy but no "heart". It's all about the running time and getting paid.
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2,302 posts
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Post by Tibidabo on Dec 26, 2016 11:30:39 GMT
I personally didn't find this 'soulless.' The running time was back up to 3 hours, so they weren't rushing and they all seemed engaged and to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, despite it being Christmas eve and all presumably having families to rush off to. One thing I forgot to mention - I much prefer the dotty fairy godmother, a la Dame-elect Julie of Walters, in Cinderella to the twinkly fairy who is much better left to Tinkerbell, Genie of the Ring and Thingamyjig in Dick Whittington. I do understand that there were already too many comedians jostling for laughs, but the forgetful fairy godmother adds that touch of suspense for the children - will she, won't she manage to change the pumpkin in time? etc. Finally, a word of warning to those who don't like to be parted with their cash. We arrived 20 minutes before the doors opened. Who'd have thunk it long enough for daughter to find the perfect sumptuous suede jacket and matching shoes in her minuscule sizes around the corner in Banana Republic AND still get back in time for a toilet trip and a drink before curtain up?  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2016 22:40:07 GMT
Saw this this afternoon and LOVED it. Have visited the Wimbledon pantomime before for the last 10 years but I really enjoyed this one. The cast are all hilarious!! Paul O Grady stole the show from me, he plays the villain so well!! However, I loved Paul Zerdin as Buttons too. His ventriloquism is amazing and the scene at the beginning of Act 2 with the audience is hilarious!!! Amanda Holden was also very good. I love her on BGT so was glad to see her in this. She plays the Fairy Godmother very well. Not a bad singing voice either to be honest. However she's got a really strong lisp which never comes across on BGT so I wondered if they edit I think somehow because it was really obvious in the show but never noticed it before on TV. Julian Clary also great as Dandini. Very funny one-liners. Lee Mead really surprised me as the Prince, his singing voice is brilliant! I didn't realise his voice was so good and nice to see him take the mickey out of himself. Natasha J Barnes also great as Cinderella. Brilliant voice and very pretty lady. I can see her being good in Funny Girl and she's no doubt got a good career in Musical Theatre. Nigel Havers was brilliant in his part, I was saying he should've got more stage time but that's the whole joke so it worked really well. He's great taking the mickey out of himself!! Didn't like Count Arthur Strong that much, wasn't really a need for his character to be honest. Some of my favourite scenes were Love Changes Everything, If I were not in pantomime..., the horse drawn carriage to the ball, Paul Zerdin ventriloquist act with audience and LOADS more. Loved the whole show! Only a downside would be the wedding scene at the end was very abrupt, they should've ended with the whole cast singing a song as the audience clap along/dancing etc!! Would've ended nicer than just bow, wave, curtain down. Anyway amazing panto with all star cast. Will be back next year. 5 Stars  |
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524 posts
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Post by callum on Dec 29, 2016 1:36:09 GMT
Any chance that this could get filmed and shown next Christmas? Maybe like one of the old ITV pantos?
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1,936 posts
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 29, 2016 1:59:20 GMT
No, QDOS will present this show in another town next year - Birmingham? They won't spoil future audiences with a TV screening.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 11:26:29 GMT
Good!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 17:04:07 GMT
I was thinking this after I saw the show.
If one of the celebrities was really ill and couldn't go on, do they have understudies? I know in musicals you usually 'pay to see the show rather than the celebrity' but in pantomime you do pay to see celebrities.
A lot of the dialogue are jokes aimed at the celebrity playing the role (e.g. Lee and casualty, Paul and dogs, Amanda and BGT etc) that simply wouldn't make sense if it were said to an understudy.
Has anyone ever been to a panto where the celeb(s) aren't on?
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2,775 posts
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Post by daniel on Dec 29, 2016 17:13:06 GMT
I've seen Qdos panto with understudies - they just bump up a chorus member and take out any of the celeb's personal references!
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2,302 posts
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Post by Tibidabo on Dec 29, 2016 17:17:34 GMT
I once chaperoned a performance of 'Snow White and the Four Dwarves! (No celebrity dwarves though, so not quite the same as a missing star.) |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 18:23:04 GMT
John Barrowman a few weeks ago on Loose Women (and a couple of years ago on Jonathan Ross) talked about the story of him falling off a horse in panto so his understudy had to go on, who was his nephew.
Also, if I'm not mistaken, in 2010 in Birmingham Joan Collins' understudy was a man in drag. Not sure if that story is 100% true as I wasn't there myself, I think I read it somewhere.
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2,775 posts
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Post by daniel on Dec 29, 2016 19:38:02 GMT
John Barrowman a few weeks ago on Loose Women (and a couple of years ago on Jonathan Ross) talked about the story of him falling off a horse in panto so his understudy had to go on, who was his nephew. Also, if I'm not mistaken, in 2010 in Birmingham Joan Collins' understudy was a man in drag. Not sure if that story is 100% true as I wasn't there myself, I think I read it somewhere. I believe it was Joan Collins' understudy was the (male) director with a script! It certainly happened, my memory can't recall if it was Joan, but I'm 95% sure it was. After that happened, the Hippodrome insisted that understudies were in place. For a couple of years there was a listed male & female understudy who, between them, covered all of the parts, however as of last year they just bump up ensemble when needed. Presume this is similar across the country! |
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 29, 2016 23:32:22 GMT
Joan Collins was ill during her run in Birmingham and missed a lot of performances I seem to remember. She hasn't done panto since or not been asked!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2016 12:11:30 GMT
Of course, to bring us full circle, half of Joan Collins Fan Club is appearing at the London Palladium...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2016 16:38:43 GMT
My final show of 2016 tonight, very much looking forward to it after reading all your opinions. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2016 22:54:02 GMT
I mean, what more can you say that hasn't already been said. A fantastic show, some real wow moments and the cast all around are fantastic! If you can catch it, don't miss the chance! Full stalls standing ovation at the end and half the stalls in a standing ovation mis-way through the second half! And Paul Zerdin is so sexy, how did I not know this! And we get to see him in his pants briefly, even better! And Lee is really cute too in person, shame we didn't get to see him in his haha! Briliant night, best of the 4 pantomimes I have seen thid winter by a landslide (sorry Wimbledon)! |
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Post by shady23 on Dec 31, 2016 13:08:01 GMT
I saw Shane from Boyzone in panto this week and he sang all of two lines solo the entire show. The other performers sang the Boyzone medely  I also saw Faye from Steps in another panto and she belted the Steps medley out much to this fangirls delight. We also got wet from PC Plums pistol (don't  ) The two tickets probably came to much less than one for this panto too. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 19:53:41 GMT
Has anybody stage doored for this? I would've loved to have met Amanda Holden and the rest of the cast but I doubt thy would've come out after a show? However, I did see a few pictures on twitter and Instagram of people with the cast but judging by Paul O Grady without makeup on and the fact it is light, they probably waited for them to enter the stage door before the show
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Jan 2, 2017 20:17:01 GMT
All the autograph sellers would be our in force for this one, it would be a nightmare.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 20:24:08 GMT
All the autograph sellers would be our in force for this one, it would be a nightmare. Completely agree!! |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2017 12:32:42 GMT
I didn't stage door, but I exited the theatre via the exit next to it and there were about 30 people outside of it, and I was one of the first to leave the show once it ended (in the Stalls anyway), so clearly some of them were there who hadn't seen the actual show.
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Jan 3, 2017 13:53:14 GMT
If you haven't got a ticket from that show you should be moved on.
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