More Theatre News
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Birmingham Youth Theatre looking for young actors to star in Footloose
Posted on Wed 15 Jan
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Review: Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana at Wolverhampton Grand
Posted on Tue 14 Jan
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Wolverhampton Grand celebrates most successful pantomime season
Posted on Mon 13 Jan
DICK WHITTINGTON Birmingham Hippodrome, Sat 17 December - Sun 29 January
“The audience reaction on my first entrance gets me every time,” says Hippodrome panto favourite Matt Slack, who this month and next stars in the venue’s lavish production of Dick Whittington, alongside Marti Pellow, Dr Ranj, Suzanne Shaw, Doreen Tipton and Andrew Ryan. “It’s something quite special. It’s like coming out of lockdown and being allowed in a pub!”
Matt will certainly be hoping history doesn’t repeat itself when he takes to the stage this year - a previous production of Dick Whittington saw him making an unexpected visit to hospital: “I wrote and performed a lip-sync routine where I fell off the stage into the orchestra pit, onto a crash mat. That went fine, but when I rushed to get back up, I went over on my ankle. Nothing broken luckily, but the sprain was the worst possible. I had a detached ligament and still suffer with it now. However, I finished the show, hopping through it, and then off to A&E. The things you do to get a laugh!”
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ALADDIN Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sat 3 December - Sat 7 January
Join Aladdin on a spectacular quest from humble beginnings to riches beyond his wildest dreams!
“It’s a great part to play,” says ex-EastEnder Michael Greco in talking about taking on the role of the evil Abanazar in the Grand Theatre’s festive-season panto production of Aladdin.” I’ve done it before, but this time I’ve been promised by the producers that they’re going to make him even more evil, so I’m really looking forward to that. This is going to be more than just your normal pantomime villain - this is gonna be a proper actor’s stage Abanazar!”
Michael is joined in the show by Zoe Birkett, Ben Cajee, Tam Ryan, Ian Adams and Duane Gooden.
“The Grand is incredible,” he continues. “It’s one of those old-style theatres that I love, and there’s some really great talent in the show as well. I’m really looking forward to it - I can’t wait for the six weeks to start!”
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ELF THE MUSICAL Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, Thurs 22 - Fri 23 December
“We are keenly aware of the economic climate,” says Elf The Musical’s producer & director, Jon Conway, “and are one of the few shows to have reduced our prices from our last visit, to provide an affordable family outing.
“One of the best sights is the audiences dressing up for the show, especially the dads in elf Christmas sweaters!”
The stage adaptation of Will Ferrell’s hit festive movie Elf has proved to be a real crowd-pleaser in previous years.
Billed as ‘the world’s biggest pantomime’, the show features film backdrops on a huge LED screen and a mobile stage that travels the auditorium, ensuring that everyone gets a close-up view of the action.
And that’s not all. The production also features Santa’s flying sleigh, an audience snowball fight, an indoor snowstorm, aerial cirque stars and a giant candy cane journey from the North Pole. What’s not to like?...
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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham, until Fri 16 December
This Christmas The Old Rep brings the timeless tale of Beauty and the Beast to life.
This musical adventure follows Belle, a beautiful and intelligent young woman, as she finds herself trapped in an enchanted castle in the depths of the forest captured by the grotesque Beast. Will she learn to love him for who he truly is and break the spell.
From the creative team behind last year’s Alice in Wonderland, comes a seasonal adventure for the entire family. With spellbinding storytelling, set to an original score and a few magical surprises along the way this re-imagining of a classic fairytale will excite, entertain and leave you spellbound.
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JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Belgrade theatre, Coventry, until Sat 7 January
Iain Lauchlan is Coventry’s Mr Pantomime, having written, directed and performed in festive-season productions at the city’s Belgrade Theatre for more than three decades. His latest panto is Jack And The Beanstalk, a show he wrote in 2020 and presented, with a truncated cast, to online audiences during the Covid pandemic. There’ll be plenty of changes in this year’s version but no drifting away from the familiar storyline.
“Making them different is always the challenge,” Iain explains. “And especially Jack And The Beanstalk, which has a very set story with Jack and the cow and the giant and so on. It’s a very specific fairytale and people don’t want you to stray from that. It’s all the things in between that you try and make different - the comedy routines, the songs and the dances. And of course you don’t want to be repeating the dialogue and jokes, just in case people remember them!”
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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST The Core, Solihull, Fri 9 December - Mon 2 January
In the pretty French village of Mont Sue-Relle, bookish Belle is ready to start a new chapter and find some adventure.
However Belle, and her friend Jacques and his mum, Betty the local bell ringer, get much more than they bargained for when they find themselves trapped inside the enchanted castle of a mysterious beast.
Will true love conquer all? Will the curse of the Enchantress ever be broken? Will Betty drop a clanger?
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ELSEWHERE...
THE PANTOMIME ADVENTURES OF PETER PAN Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 9 Sat 31 December
As usual Jonathan Wilkes heads the cast of the Regent’s panto - he’s playing Smee in this brand-new version of Peter Pan - but the big news this year is that the theatre’s dame of longstanding, Christian Patterson, will not be joining him in Neverland. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to appear in a film that’s being helmed by an Oscar-winning director sadly means the much-loved Welsh actor won’t be steering his wardrobe of outrageous frocks in the direction of the ‘second star to the right and straight on till morning’.
Those who most definitely are Neverland-bound this Christmas, however, include Torchwood star Kai Owen, who’ll be losing a hand and gaining the attention of a blood-thirsty crocodile in the always-to-die-for role of Captain Hook.
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SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS Lichfield Garrick, until Sun 8 January
Mirror Mirror on the wall... What's the greatest pantomime of them all?
Everybody knows the story - the nasty old queen’s less than keen on her younger and more beautiful stepdaughter, who takes refuge from her royal evilness by holing up in the deep, dark forest with a household of small but splendidly friendly miners...
The fact that Snow White’s a twenty-four carat classic of a fairytale means that a pantomime version is always a surefire winner. Expect all the usual panto elements, with the Garrick’s ever-popular Dame, Sam Rabone, taking top billing
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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, until Sun 8 January
“There are pantos that go a bit near the knuckle, but I don’t think we do really,” says Brad Fitt, who’s long been a much-loved fixture in Theatre Severn’s annual pantomime production. “I would never tell a joke that was offensive or rude. Sometimes you can use a double entendre - but then that’s in your mind, that’s not me. You have to blame yourself!”
Brad this year takes on the role of Nurse Nelly and also directs the show, his 11th Theatre Severn panto. He’s joined in the cast by Britain’s Got Talent 2022 contestant Tommy J Rollason, who’ll play comedy character Jangles.
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