‘Peter Pan’ at the London Palladium Panto’ Review …
My parents always took my sister and me to the London Palladium panto’. Sometimes we sat in the box, even though our origins were humble. So it was a ‘big thing’ and probably at that time one of the few productions rather than the plethora of pantos we get these days. When we took our two granddaughters to the Palladium yesterday, I said before the performance to Master Mind, our son-in-law, that when I was six and Dick Emery took his cat head off revealing Puss in Boots, I was disappointed: I wanted to believe in the cat.
To Peter Pan. I must be showing my age now. Those who were top-billed had one-man spots whilst presumably the intricate costume changes were taking place. Julian Clary was good, despite the relentless sexual gay jokes – when you managed to hear him above the equally relentless crash/bang from the orchestra. My senses were assaulted. How our four-year-old granddaughter slept through it all, I have no idea but my daughter did have to permanently cover her daughter’s ears. Jennifer Saunders as Hook asked where the children were as she ‘had seen more children on a Saga cruise’. If they were in the audience they certainly weren’t being heard, drowned out by the volume of the orchestra and the middle-aged hen party sitting behind us who were literally wetting themselves from the sexual gay jokes and their apparent pints of vodka.
The starring cast seemed jaded to be on stage, even before Christmas arrived. The one-man spots, advertising where they were starring next at each juncture had little to do with telling a story. Okay, I guess we’ve heard it all before, but have the children for whom I thought pantos were supposed to be for? In fact, numerous times the starring cast could be seen sighing when they mentioned: plot, plot, plot and saying, ‘Oh, should we get back to the plot? Is there one?’ There wasn’t really. Neither was there a murmur of ‘she’s behind you’ as that’s now probably old hat.
It was all very disappointing; but then I was showing my age as when I mentioned Dick Emery to Master Mind, the son-in-law, he said, ‘Who?’
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Saturday June 8th ’24 – Memoir – a gift for your grandchildren and/or for posterity at Beaconsfield.
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Please leave a review if you are able and Merry Christmas 2023.
Thanks for the Panto review. I agree on the risque humour and the use of ‘celebrity’ stars as headline attractions. The Panto artform is under pressure from the desire to fill every seat with revelers of any age rather than create the magical experience that develops a child’s love of theatre. For young local audiences, I’d recommend ‘Cinderella’ at The Cuzon Centre, there are two performances tomorrow and the quality is spot on.
The happiest of Christmas wishes xx
Perfectly put, Phillip. One has to learn from experience but that experience was very costly. Yes. Next time something more local and traditional we resolved.