In a year of “Hey kids, let’s put the show on right here!” this pantomime may very well take the biscuit or rather the mince pie. There are 44 performers not including musicians, stage and other crew, not to mention Director Adam Morley and together, they give us the pantomime we need and which so many families have been denied through force of circumstances. Watch this as a family and you will be enveloped in the warm glow of seasonal cheer which, despite the early onset of decorations, has been lacking until now.
Not any more Boys and Girls because the multitalented Michael Head has written a quick-fire mix of classic panto-memes (see wot I did there?) as well as a collection of classy earworms, some co-composed with Chesney Hawkes, who knows a thing or two about song writing. Michael also plays three parts – as if he wasn’t taking on enough – Santa, the wackiest Widow Twanky and Dick Wittington as a cab driver who talks non-stop as he takes our heroes across an ever-changing green screen of London featuring whales and a riot of out-of-context backgrounds. I'm sure he once took me from Waterloo to Camberwell when I'd wanted to go to Cannonbury, he just wouldn't go North of the river at that time of night...
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| Michael Head wants to tell you a story! |
It’s a family affair too as Michael’s daughters, Polly and Livia, are at the heart of the action as two little girls looking for a Christmas Eve present for their mum, helped by their Dad (Mr Hawkes). They go to a library (Kensington obliged) and meet a singing librarian (Chesney’s daughter Jesse) who sings about The Magic of a Good Book accompanied by dancers and all the Hollywood Glamour you can expect in the current circumstances – maybe more Holloway, but, sure, that’s a fine road isn’t it?
A world of possibility, once you put your iPhone down… So, what’s your preference, fiction or reference?
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| Livia, Chesney Hawkes, Polly and Jesse Hawkes |
Libraries spark the imagination and whilst Dad is oblivious
to the song and dance – absorbed in a book called Wobbly Bits (which I
must read….), the girls soon get drawn into another world after meeting a (really)
Good Fairy played by Caprice Bourret (who else?) who gives them a magic ring
for their mother’s present. All this is seen by the villainous gaze of the baddie
named, for copyright-infringement-swerving reasons, Abanaza (Vas Blackwood on
stonkingly good form!), who sets out to steal the ring only to be thwarted by
Buttons (Joe Pasquale, who else?!) who tricks Ava-banana – a running gag - and heads
off with the girls into the stacks.
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| Vas Blackwood is A-bonanza |
There’s a fun chase enlivened by energetic dancers and music
that suggests Mr Head spent a fair amount of his youth in raves; me too and I
liked this! Where’s me long-sleeved t-shirt?!
There’s a lot of exposition and guests stars to fit in and we meet our Prince (not so) Charming (Dane Bowers, natch!) who takes part in Blind Date in the Woods hosted by Ben Ofoedu with compering provided by Sleepy aka Abz Love. Charming gets to check out (not so) Little Red Riding Hood (Sandi Bogle), a saucy Cinderella (Lydia Singer) and a wide-awake Sleeping Beauty (Reme Hannan) and there’s a lorra laughs as somebody used to say.
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| Blind Date: Abz, Reme, Ben, Lydia, Dane and Sandi! |
The play’s essentially a series of sketches and the
enthsiasm and joy – despite every damn thing – is a delight throughout. I
mean, who wouldn’t want to see Captain Hook (Kieran O’Connor) confronting his
issues of self-esteem, with a sympathetic Beast (Paul-D Stephenson), who’s been
there, done that and come out the other side. Hook has been kicked out of his
gang by Pirates led by Becky Hoyle, who are concerned that his values no longer
align? Smee not me, but Smee (Luke Jordan Callow) explains it all in song,
another cracker!
Anyone hungry? Here Widow Twanky (Mr Head again) has taken to baking in a big way helped by James Goodman and the esteemed Paul Danan, who could sell most people anything I’m quite sure. It’s time for one of the biggest showstoppers as Buttons makes the mistake of asking just why, she just “got to bake”? We switch to Twanky in Tina Turner hair and surrounded by dancers in Holy Trinity Church in Sidcup and whilst Mr Head is in fine voice, he also has some moves too. Seriously, worth the price of admission on its own!
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| The Great British Dame Off with messrs Danan, Goodman, Head and Pasquale |
Back to the story and Buttons and the girls make their way
to the Cave of Fear and an entrance guarded by former Shameless star Tina
Malone who, apart from great timing has enough “wack” to be the host of the aforementioned
Blind Date. Inside the cave we find one sad Ugly Sister (Myra Dubois) wondering
whether Abanaza is the man for her…
Buttons and the children need to find the Fairy Party to get
back to their Dad and, luckily, they meet the Fair Godmother (Vanessa Feltz… and
it feels so right!) who, along with two reasonably good fairies Rhia
Official and Nicole Michelle, point them in the direction of the “goodest” Fairy.
Time for another set piece song and dance (filmed in London’s Jakata) as
Caprice shows off her singing for the Fairy Anthem and dancers are
intercut with the other characters having a ball, glass slippers or not!
It’s the feel-good hit of the Winter and all in that good cause. I watched it twice because I knew the family would enjoy it as well and that’s the way to do it as Mr Punch so wisely put it; for pantomime you need the collective experience of watching and laughing along. Oh YES you do!!
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| Caprice is a very Good Fairy |
Everyone gave their time for free and all proceeds go to NHS
Charities Together. It’s a heart-warming tribute to the people who have served
us so well this year from a group of performers who will have seen their own
careers put on hold. I look forward to seeing them all back on stage where they
belong and I would urge everyone to donate a tenner and just enjoy their fun!
You can watch The Gift either on Vimeo on Demand or over at
Amazon Prime.
IThankYou Rating: I just have to give this *****
with Christmas Bells on! For kids of all ages from one to one hundred!
Apologies to any of those I missed out - a superb effort from all of you!
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