Thursday, 16 December 2021
Tuesday, 14 December 2021
Monday, 13 December 2021
Beauty & The Beast - Review 1
Beauty and The Beast at The Anvil, Basingstoke
This weekend we were invited to see Beauty and The Beast at The Anvil in Basingstoke. It’s one of our favourite theatres and we hadn’t been in so long – we were really looking forward to it.
The Anvil always has a panto – and one at Easter too – and we always really enjoy it. Before we even arrived we knew it would be family friendly and that we’d all have a great time. Plus, The Anvil is easily accessible, in the heart of Basingstoke Town Centre and with parking right next to the theatre.
We arrived just before the seating doors opened, friendly staff checked our tickets and we used the toilets and bought some drinks. The Anvil lets you preorder snacks and drinks, ready to pick up at a convenient collection point and they have a great range available – including some special Beauty and the Beast themed cocktails and mocktails too!
Beauty and The Beast started in a burst of song and disco balls, setting the scene for the rest of the show. The set was beautiful, seamlessly switching French village to castle and even a dark and spooky forest at one point.
Everyone knows the story of Beauty and the Beast and the show was in keeping with the classic tale. But, it was also classic pantomime – with Polly La Plonk, played by Nick Wilton as the classic pantomime dame and plenty of he’s behind you and oh no he isn’t, oh yes he is moments too.
The characters were fantastic. With Belle, played by Maria Coyne, and her father played by Marcus Knibbs. Their relationship is a big part of the story and they both convey so much emotion in their scenes and songs. Maria has an incredible voice and she plays Belle wonderfully.
One of our favourite characters was the over confident and loud Hugo, played by Michael Quinn, who constantly had a swarm of women following him everywhere. He spent the whole show trying to marry Belle and she spent the whole show trying to avoid him and his affections.
Many of the jokes surrounding Hugo were around his accent. Words that sounded different when said in a strong French accent that changed the whole context of what he was saying. Most of his lines got laughs from the audience – especially when he started talking about a cat in French. Chat!
Joe McFadden played Beast perfectly. He was full of angst and pent up emotion. Looked after by Polly La Plonk and her son, Louis La Plonk, played by Chris Pizzey, they make a great trio who I’m sure would have lived happily in the castle for years together – with laughter every day!
The show has laughs in every scene and Polly and Louis make a fantastic double act, bouncing off each other. We loved the jokes and there was just the right amount of innuendo – with it all going over the children’s heads.
We loved Beauty and the Beast. The cast gave the performance their all, the songs were fantastic from old classic to really modern favourites and the choreography and costumes fit the show perfectly. It was a fantastic family show that we really enjoyed and we can’t wait to go back to The Anvil to see another show soon.
Disclosure: We were invited to see this show for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own
https://whattheredheadsaid.com/beauty-and-the-beast-at-the-anvil-basingstoke/
This weekend we were invited to see Beauty and The Beast at The Anvil in Basingstoke. It’s one of our favourite theatres and we hadn’t been in so long – we were really looking forward to it.
The Anvil always has a panto – and one at Easter too – and we always really enjoy it. Before we even arrived we knew it would be family friendly and that we’d all have a great time. Plus, The Anvil is easily accessible, in the heart of Basingstoke Town Centre and with parking right next to the theatre.
We arrived just before the seating doors opened, friendly staff checked our tickets and we used the toilets and bought some drinks. The Anvil lets you preorder snacks and drinks, ready to pick up at a convenient collection point and they have a great range available – including some special Beauty and the Beast themed cocktails and mocktails too!
Beauty and The Beast started in a burst of song and disco balls, setting the scene for the rest of the show. The set was beautiful, seamlessly switching French village to castle and even a dark and spooky forest at one point.
Everyone knows the story of Beauty and the Beast and the show was in keeping with the classic tale. But, it was also classic pantomime – with Polly La Plonk, played by Nick Wilton as the classic pantomime dame and plenty of he’s behind you and oh no he isn’t, oh yes he is moments too.
The characters were fantastic. With Belle, played by Maria Coyne, and her father played by Marcus Knibbs. Their relationship is a big part of the story and they both convey so much emotion in their scenes and songs. Maria has an incredible voice and she plays Belle wonderfully.
One of our favourite characters was the over confident and loud Hugo, played by Michael Quinn, who constantly had a swarm of women following him everywhere. He spent the whole show trying to marry Belle and she spent the whole show trying to avoid him and his affections.
Many of the jokes surrounding Hugo were around his accent. Words that sounded different when said in a strong French accent that changed the whole context of what he was saying. Most of his lines got laughs from the audience – especially when he started talking about a cat in French. Chat!
Joe McFadden played Beast perfectly. He was full of angst and pent up emotion. Looked after by Polly La Plonk and her son, Louis La Plonk, played by Chris Pizzey, they make a great trio who I’m sure would have lived happily in the castle for years together – with laughter every day!
The show has laughs in every scene and Polly and Louis make a fantastic double act, bouncing off each other. We loved the jokes and there was just the right amount of innuendo – with it all going over the children’s heads.
We loved Beauty and the Beast. The cast gave the performance their all, the songs were fantastic from old classic to really modern favourites and the choreography and costumes fit the show perfectly. It was a fantastic family show that we really enjoyed and we can’t wait to go back to The Anvil to see another show soon.
Disclosure: We were invited to see this show for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own
https://whattheredheadsaid.com/beauty-and-the-beast-at-the-anvil-basingstoke/
Friday, 3 December 2021
Hampshire Life
Featured in this month’s Hampshire Life in an article on Panto’s “Men in frocks” alongside Jack Edwards (Southsea), Craig Revel Horwood (Southampton) and Julian Eardley (Winchester)
Some may recognise Nick as the hard-nosed market inspector for Walford's Bridge Street market in EastEnders. But his latest acting offering couldn’t be further from Bob Lister’s grey suit and tie as he dons a dress and bloomers and becomes housekeeper Polly La Plonk for Beauty and the Beast at The Anvil in Basingstoke. No stranger to the pantomime, Nick remembers: ‘I did my first panto when I was 30 playing Captain’s Mate in Dick Whittington in 1987 at the Theatre Royal Plymouth; in 1990 I was Wishee Washee in Edmonton; and in 1991 the baddie in Bill Oddie’s Mother Goose at the Shaw Theatre in London. When I was 40, I had the idea of playing a panto Dame but it took three years to find someone to give me the chance. In 2000 I played Nurse Nellie in Robin Hood & The Babes in the Wood at the Salisbury Playhouse and I’ve played Dame every Christmas since - I was last at The Anvil in 2010 in Sleeping Beauty with the wonderful Wendy Craig.’
With an award-winning script, comedy routines and songs a-plenty, audiences are set for an action-packed show. Nick’s favourite routine is with fellow cast member Chris Pizzey, who plays Louis, Polly’s son, he shares: I’ve worked with Chris before so I know what “a little tinker” he is. My favourite bit is the kitchen scene where we get into a bit of state trying to bake some baguettes. Louis says: “No rest for the stupid”, Polly says: “Wicked” and Louis replies: “Cool”. I love this little exchange at the beginning of the scene - it’s such a neat joke.
All this on-stage excitement sounds exhausting and so when it comes to some r&r for Polly, Nick says: ‘I think she’d head down to Lymington harbour - she’s got an eye for the sailors. Or possibly she might take a busman’s holiday and go for afternoon tea at Highclere Castle - it would be nice to be waited on for a change.’
Tuesday, 28 September 2021
Saturday, 26 December 2020
Pantomonium Review 2: Pocketsize Theatre
Martin Dodds, the producer behind UK Productions usually puts on nearly a dozen Pantomimes each year including shows at the very fine Theatre Royal Bath and the magnificent Frank Matcham designed Blackpool Grand Theatre. There is something magical about seeing Pantomime in these wonderful old buildings that resonate of all the past performers who have trod the boards there that make a pilgrimage to see their annual production a joy. This year it had proved impossible with Pantomimes cancelled before they opened and even those that opened like the Palladium, The Mayflower Southampton and the Lighthouse in Poole closing after a few performances due to Covid restrictions or worse illness in the cast. There are currently eighty online pantomimes listed by British Theatre Guide and the challenge is how to adapt this interactive family experience to the small screen. Jon Monie (scriptwriter) and Martin Dodds make a solid attempt in their version Pantomonium filmed on the stage of the Blackpool Grand.
They start by assembling a stellar award-winning small team. Monie won Best Script for his 2019 Beauty and Beast at GB Pantomime Awards, Tom Lister won Best Villain for his Captain Hook and Olivia Birchenough won Best Leading lady in Cinderella at the 2017 awards and Katie Hill won Best choreography at the Blackpool Grand in the 2020 Awards. They add to the team Steve Royle, the madcap comedian who came third in the 2020 Britain’s Got Talent TV show, although as he mocks himself, if Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world, who knows who is third fastest! To complete the cast is the usual Dame from the Theatre Royal Bath, the delightful gentle Nick Wilton. Together they have the experience to stage and perform Pantomime business.
The Pantomonium story, like the Evolution online show in Sheffield, is set in the Pantomime Emporium that the Dame runs, and the Villain is out to steal The Pantomime Tales Magic book (in Sheffield the Essence of Pantomime). The focus of the show is not the Tales themselves but the great Pantomime business and sketches that are a staple of the genre. In the shop they give us the wonderfully visual gag of descending the stairs behind the counter (and later a lift and trapdoor) and the rising sausage gag such a regular feature of Kitchen slosh scenes. They do a quick-fire version of usual routine the “12 days of Christmas” although without the props (presumably for Covid reasons) it is just a gentle reminder of the show-stopping routine we love. Much more effective is an adapted version of “if I were not in Pantomime” with new action based on the four characters who have dominated our lives in 2020 the Postman, Vaccinator, PE instructor and Politician. It is performed in the usual frenetic way leaving Lister breathless for the rest of the Scene! And then of course no Pantomime would be complete without the Famous Ghost Bench scene, here with a fresh twist to end it.
Steve Royle gets to perform some of his BGT routines with his juggling different size balls and introduces a very silly Ventriloquist act performed with the uses of Covid Face Mask on both himself and the monkey, reminiscent of the old fifties act Peter Brough and Archie Andrews, a vent act performed on the radio! In neither case could you see their lips move! The challenge for all these routines is the lack of audience response (although some appear to be occasionally added) which mutes the atmosphere and must be sorely missed by the performers. They do frequently look pleadingly down the camera into our homes, but the response is sadly missed. They do at least cleverly incorporate a traditional call out in one scene with “behind U”.
Hill does get to choreograph a routine over Zoom with the Girls from the Ensemble and a chorus of eight in individual Zoom windows. It is another good 2020 reference, well done and a show highlight. They also have some fun with Wilton doubling up as Dame and Fairy Tales and Royle as playing both Billy and the villain Killjoy meaning these characters must work with an extreme form of social distancing by never appearing in the same scene!
It is an affectionate short form pantomime in one act, full of silly business and jokes, although I suspect saving the best new gags for next year rather than making them available online! At £25.50 it feels on the expensive side with the usual range of £10 to £15 for a stream and misses one of the key elements of the genre with Audience interaction. But with Christmas Terrestrial Free TV missing the presence of original comedy geniuses like Morecambe and Wise and relying heavily on Game Shows, it does provide a welcome alternative for family viewing.
Review by Nick Wayne
Rating: ★★★
Pantomonium Review 1: UK Theatre Network
Pantomonium! The Blackpool Grand's Panto - Online!
Pantomonium - written and created byJon Monie is the panto offering from Blackpool Grand this year. Due to the covid crisis it did not get to see a run but this filmed version by Jake Powell does not seem to lose any of the fun, wit and energy of a perfectly pitched family panto.
Running at an hour the cast of 4 create 6 characters who take us through a fully staged panto from UK Productions filmed onstage at The Grand.
The task for Prince Charmless and "Ensemble Girl" is to find Fairy Tales and the book of panto before they are lost forever to the Baddie, Killjoy; at this point all imagination will end and the panto stories we know and love will be lost forever.
Nick Wilton is an excellent Dame Tilly Topps / Fairy Tales; ensuring the comedy is full of dynamic fun and traditional "business." It is hard to believe it is not filmed in front of a live audience such is the quality of the the performances. Tom Lister is a gloriously gormless Prince Charmless; full of self importance, clad in lycra and an utterly daft but endearing triangle percussion sound to accentuate every double entendre.
Olivia Birchenough as the Ensemble Girl is a strong central focus alongside Steve Royle as the evil Kill Joy and side kick Billy Topps.
The multi role playing is much enjoyed and made a feature of. The writing is sharp and satirical, the social references are spot on and the political digs great fun. The reworking of "If I were not upon a stage" is a fine moment: "roll your sleeves up, sit right down, you'll feel a little prick" or "new slide please, stay indoors, not a chuffing clue."
This is well directed by Anthony Williams and the gags are fast and furious; in the current climate for those wanting some traditional pantomime fun then this is a very good place to start.
No doubt this show will have a life beyond 2020; the ideas are strong and the writing is both naughty enough for adults to snigger and yet be faithful to the audience intended. Jon Monie has created an absolute gem to get us through the season and all credit to those who have made it available online. Panto has most definitely triumphed and a little Christmas magic has been saved for now - rarely has it felt more important.
Petra Schofield
Running at an hour the cast of 4 create 6 characters who take us through a fully staged panto from UK Productions filmed onstage at The Grand.
The task for Prince Charmless and "Ensemble Girl" is to find Fairy Tales and the book of panto before they are lost forever to the Baddie, Killjoy; at this point all imagination will end and the panto stories we know and love will be lost forever.
Nick Wilton is an excellent Dame Tilly Topps / Fairy Tales; ensuring the comedy is full of dynamic fun and traditional "business." It is hard to believe it is not filmed in front of a live audience such is the quality of the the performances. Tom Lister is a gloriously gormless Prince Charmless; full of self importance, clad in lycra and an utterly daft but endearing triangle percussion sound to accentuate every double entendre.
Olivia Birchenough as the Ensemble Girl is a strong central focus alongside Steve Royle as the evil Kill Joy and side kick Billy Topps.
The multi role playing is much enjoyed and made a feature of. The writing is sharp and satirical, the social references are spot on and the political digs great fun. The reworking of "If I were not upon a stage" is a fine moment: "roll your sleeves up, sit right down, you'll feel a little prick" or "new slide please, stay indoors, not a chuffing clue."
This is well directed by Anthony Williams and the gags are fast and furious; in the current climate for those wanting some traditional pantomime fun then this is a very good place to start.
No doubt this show will have a life beyond 2020; the ideas are strong and the writing is both naughty enough for adults to snigger and yet be faithful to the audience intended. Jon Monie has created an absolute gem to get us through the season and all credit to those who have made it available online. Panto has most definitely triumphed and a little Christmas magic has been saved for now - rarely has it felt more important.
Petra Schofield
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