Monday 16th December 2019 at The Grand Theatre and Opera House, York. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are taking to the stage at the the Grand Opera House York for the festive season this year. Expect plenty of song and dance, a litany of tongue in cheek gags and some great fun-loving silliness.... Continue Reading →
Review: York Theatre Royal’s Sleeping Beauty
Wednesday 11th December 2019 at York Theatre Royal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This year’s offering at York Theatre Royal is Sleeping Beauty and in this production the old classic is given a fair few tweaks and whopping re-writes to keep things skipping along with modern audiences. Director Matt Aston leads a merry band in the telling of the... Continue Reading →
Review: Rock’n’Roll Red Riding Hood At Leeds City Varieties
Thursday 5th December 2019 at City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Who knew panto could be such a joyride as a grown up? Red Riding Hood The Rock’n’Roll Panto is an absolute smasher. I’ve never had so much fun at a panto as I did in seeing this show - it’s wild and without fear,... Continue Reading →
Review: Nottingham Theatre Royal’s Cinderella
Sunday 1st December 2019 at Nottingham Theatre Royal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Nottingham Theatre Royal’s 2019 panto offering is a whirling delight of razzle dazzle and charm. Highlights are many and lulls are a grand total of zero - from the dancing pumpkins to the many magical moments to the all-important carriage ride, this is grand scale panto... Continue Reading →
Review: Nottingham Playhouse’s Sleeping Beauty
Saturday 30th November 2019 at Nottingham Playhouse. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Ey up me ducks!’ Panto fever has landed in Nottingham and this year, Nottingham Playhouse have a real treat in store with this production of Kenneth Alan Taylor’s Sleeping Beauty. This is a Nottingham Playhouse family affair, with regular panto favourites returning to appreciative cheers from regulars.... Continue Reading →
Review: Harrogate Theatre’s Snow White
Friday 29th November 2019 at Harrogate Theatre. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sparkles and snickers and singing and quipping? It’s panto time in Harrogate! This take on the classic Snow White is a beautifully adapted homage to all things Yorkshire and Harrogatian thanks to co-writers Phil Lowe (who also directs) and David Bown. Set in Happygate, Yawnshire, this rollicking... Continue Reading →
Review: The Grand Old Dame of York at York Theatre Royal
Friday 14th December 2018 at York Theatre Royal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Berwick Kaler’s panto has been a York staple for the last 40 years. This is the last of his shows for the Theatre Royal as retirement is on the horizon, and that gives this show a unique atmosphere of great sentiment and celebration amidst the fun... Continue Reading →
Review: Jack and the Beanstalk at Harrogate Theatre
Friday 7th December 2018 at Harrogate Theatre. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s December in Harrogate and the local theatre is in full buzzing swing. An audience of Brownies, Scouts and various other cute kids’ organisations are filling rows with swathes of uniformed little ‘uns and filling the air space with giggles and chatter. It’s panto time! The story?... Continue Reading →
Review: Robin Hood & The Babes in the Wood at Nottingham Playhouse
Saturday 1st December at Nottingham Playhouse. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Writer and Director of Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood, Kenneth Alan Taylor, clearly knows what panto is all about. The show is packed with fun, fantasy and plenty of cheerfully gaudy excess - full of life and colour in every sense, this is a very... Continue Reading →
Interview (Part I): Eva McKenna Talks Be My Baby
Katy McKenna, Equity name Eva McKenna, has been on my radar since she stole the show in Be My Baby with her performance as Delores (review here). If I’d written about the best casts and creatives of shows from 2016 as I’ve done for 2017 this year (read it here), she most definitely would have... Continue Reading →