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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2017 19:43:26 GMT
What pantomimes are people looking forward to this year now the season is upon us? What do you think of your local cast?
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1,132 posts
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Post by Stephen on Nov 5, 2017 21:47:37 GMT
I work at the Palladium and i'm looking forward to the panto here this year. I love Elaine Paige and Julian clary is bound to be funny. Also Charlie Stemp, Emma Williams and Gary Wilmot will surely make for a strong cast!
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Post by firefingers on Nov 5, 2017 22:07:25 GMT
Working panto this year. Four weeks of Dwarfs and two show days. Not really the dream.
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2,775 posts
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Post by daniel on Nov 5, 2017 22:09:31 GMT
First year since 2011 not working panto for me, super excited!
Still hoping to watch plenty though. Currently booked in for Palladium, Wimbledon and Birmingham. Hoping to add Theatre Clywd. Liverpool, Manchester and Milton Keynes are also maybes if the dates work out.
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1,132 posts
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Post by Stephen on Nov 5, 2017 22:29:05 GMT
Working panto this year. Four weeks of Dwarfs and two show days. Not really the dream. Yes Palladium is 12 shows/week too! |
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700 posts
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Post by cheesy116 on Nov 5, 2017 23:43:52 GMT
I'll be working Sleeping Beauty in Glasgow this year, Elaine C Smith is probably the only fairly known person in the cast, the rest mainly local 'celebs'. Its the first year the theatre has been a Qdos panto so hopefully the bigger budget is obvious on stage!
We are 12 shows a week too but luckily we work across 2 theatres in the city due to them both being ATG ran and close by, the other theatre being the Theatre Royal. They have the Mamma Mia UK Tour in all of December so I'll be singing a mix of Jingle Bells and Dancing Queen non stop for a month...
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1,089 posts
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Post by tonyloco on Nov 6, 2017 0:11:12 GMT
Having recently turned 80 (and feeling every day of it) I decided I would do without the panto experience this year, which I felt was behind me (see what I did there?), but I seem to have slipped into my weak-willed mode and find now I have tickets for the Palladium, Wimbledon and Hackney Empire. I was surprised at how reasonable the price was at Wimbledon and Hackney after taking advantage of my great age and my ATG membership for the available concessions so despite the screaming children at Hackney (the loudest I have ever heard anywhere every year over the past ten years or so) I am hoping to enjoy all three shows which are all strongly cast with proven panto stars. I am particularly looking forward to seeing Peter Straker and Kat B at Hackney and in recent years Susie McKenna's scripts there have been brilliant, not to mention the overall production standards.
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1,132 posts
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Post by Stephen on Nov 6, 2017 3:40:48 GMT
I'll be working Sleeping Beauty in Glasgow this year, Elaine C Smith is probably the only fairly known person in the cast, the rest mainly local 'celebs'. Its the first year the theatre has been a Qdos panto so hopefully the bigger budget is obvious on stage! We are 12 shows a week too but luckily we work across 2 theatres in the city due to them both being ATG ran and close by, the other theatre being the Theatre Royal. They have the Mamma Mia UK Tour in all of December so I'll be singing a mix of Jingle Bells and Dancing Queen non stop for a month... I'm sure Ms Smith will be fantastic but we have to look back and miss Gerard Kelly eh!? Hiya Paaalls! Good luck with the drunk ladies at Mamma Mia! |
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Post by tysilio2 on Nov 6, 2017 7:25:27 GMT
Theatre Clwyd has always been a huge draw in North Wales and I've attended for many years. The regular cast however, didn't appear last year (coinciding with the new AD's appointment) and I felt (along with all of the group I go with) that it was a pale imitation of the previous years. It was still very popular and maintained the same actor-musician format but didn't have the same impact. Missing participants included Phylip Harries (Dame), Dan Lloyd (Posh Landowner), James Haggie (Buttons/Wishee Washee) and Lyndsay Goodhand (Good Fairy). All are absent again this year so we'll be giving it a miss again.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2017 7:34:49 GMT
Sheffield seem to have a strong cast this year for Damian Williams' 10th year in Sheffield. This year he's Mother Goose - a fitting role for this milestone. This website's great to find more detailed panto cast lists that venue websites can often give. www.its-behind-you.com/diary.html Some great musical theatre people lined up across the country. |
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Post by alece10 on Nov 6, 2017 8:24:23 GMT
I'm probably in a minority but I really don't like pantos. I have only seen one in my long adult life which was when Sir Ian played the dame at The Old Vic buy that was because I wanted to see him.
I'm too much of a miserable git to like them.
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Post by duncan on Nov 6, 2017 9:52:41 GMT
I'll be working Sleeping Beauty in Glasgow this year, Elaine C Smith is probably the only fairly known person in the cast, the rest mainly local 'celebs'. Its the first year the theatre has been a Qdos panto so hopefully the bigger budget is obvious on stage!
I'm intrigued that Qdos are running 2 pantos in Glasgow this year, they are also behind the Gary Tank Commander starrer at the SECCCCC.
Both seem to be going with the big name and then a fairly cheap supporting cast. The Pavilion once again leads the weegie way in getting local celebrity names to star in their panto - Park! Christian! Him from River City! Grado!
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836 posts
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Post by duncan on Nov 6, 2017 9:54:13 GMT
I'm probably in a minority but I really don't like pantos. I have only seen one in my long adult life which was when Sir Ian played the dame at The Old Vic buy that was because I wanted to see him. I'm too much of a miserable git to like them.
I haven't been to one since primary school, and that was over 30 years ago. I have no wish to go back to one but they do provide a valuable source of income for many theatres.
And round here it also helps my bank balance as its normally 6 weeks without a show I'm interested in actually being on 
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2017 9:56:59 GMT
I find pantomime very cathartic. After a whole year of sitting quietly and applauding politely in theatres, it's delightful to have the opportunity to scream and dance and get involved. I don't like big over-glitzy pantos though, my local theatre is a Qdos venue and their pantos are just noise and no soul and scarcely even a plot. Give me a Hackney Empire or a Lyric Hammersmith any day!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2017 10:55:04 GMT
my local theatre is a Qdos venue and their pantos are just noise and no soul and scarcely even a plot. I used to go to loads of pantos but gradually the "chain" pantos took over: the same show in every venue, same songs, same costumes, same sets, with only the local place names changed. They might just have well have said "What about those people from insert name of next town here, eh? Shame about check local papers for recent events." |
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Post by dani on Nov 6, 2017 12:55:37 GMT
I always think it must be weird being a critic and going to several pantomimes from the same stable, with all the same jokes and songs, but knowing that most people will go to only one panto, making it redundant to comment on the samey nature of the material.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2017 13:09:25 GMT
Oh I do love a panto. Oh yes I do.
Any theatre production that encourages shouts of "he's behind you" takes me back to the golden days when I used to work at the House of Commons bar. Ah the good old days . . .
Other than that, my favourite panto was 'Snow White' starring Lily Savage as the Wicked Queen. Barbara Windsor played the mirror on the wall. It was fabulous.
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Post by Tibidabo on Nov 6, 2017 14:18:46 GMT
Having recently turned 80 Three cheers for Tony! Hip hip...... replacement! and feeling every day of it Well you most definitely don't sound it.👶🏻 |
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Post by bimse on Nov 6, 2017 15:57:36 GMT
I love pantomime, but there are so few true panto performers left these days. It’s a very special art, if done properly . Christopher Biggins is playing Dame in Richmond, in what might be his last panto. Sadly I won’t be able to get to Richmond.
That’s a good enough cue for a Biggins story which amused me greatly ....... When Biggins won “I’m a Celebrity...” he was asked what training could possibly have prepared him for being deposited into a strange place, made to do silly things, and forced to spend great lengths of time with people who might annoy or irritate him. Biggins replied that he’d done panto with The Krankies .
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Post by theatremadness on Nov 6, 2017 16:00:41 GMT
Theatre Clwyd has always been a huge draw in North Wales and I've attended for many years. The regular cast however, didn't appear last year (coinciding with the new AD's appointment) and I felt (along with all of the group I go with) that it was a pale imitation of the previous years. It was still very popular and maintained the same actor-musician format but didn't have the same impact. Missing participants included Phylip Harries (Dame), Dan Lloyd (Posh Landowner), James Haggie (Buttons/Wishee Washee) and Lyndsay Goodhand (Good Fairy). All are absent again this year so we'll be giving it a miss again. Phylip Harries is in Hereford this year (same as last year) if that's any help! |
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490 posts
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Post by bimse on Nov 6, 2017 16:07:35 GMT
The worst panto appearance I ever saw was Frank Bruno , in Bradford . I can’t call it a “performance” because he simply didn’t do anything , he just appeared on stage every now and then , looking bewildered , to shouts of BRUUUNO! BRUUUNO! from the kids in the audience. The hard working comic who was holding the entire show together (Paul Squire, a joyous performance ) made everyone laugh , Bruno went “HU HU HU HU” in his deep voice , and walked off. Talk about money for old rope , pointless.
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490 posts
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Post by bimse on Nov 6, 2017 18:37:39 GMT
The worst panto appearance I ever saw was Frank Bruno [/quote]Jarred Christmas. Catalogued several times on here, won't repeat it. But, ugh.
[/quote]
Never saw Jarred Christmas , but heard about him , sounds horrendous. Sorry for reminding you !
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Post by lewis on Nov 6, 2017 20:40:36 GMT
not strictly pantos, but looking forward to Peter Pan at Derby, and The Borrowers at The Watermill!
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Post by shady23 on Nov 6, 2017 22:42:58 GMT
We always go to our local "little" panto which features a local "funny man" who keeps it all together brilliantly and a token celebrity. This year it is Ray Quinn! They are cheap (compared to the big city pantos) and lots of fun. Yes, it's the same jokes every year but it's the tradition of going there with your family that makes it special. Could I be bothered travelling miles to see one? Probably not but we did go an hour to see the Chuckle Brothers in Darlington of all places (they were brilliant) and in my younger days went to Halifax to see Joel from Neighbours and Lightning from the Gladiators!
Newcastle and Sunderland always have a big name or two in their big theatre but this year, for the first year, there's another one in Newcastle, which appears to be held in a big tent and has some lad from Emmerdale in and Denise Welsh. It will be interesting to see if two huge pantos can both do well as well as the smaller ones.
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Post by tonyloco on Nov 6, 2017 23:28:21 GMT
Three cheers for Tony! Hip hip...... replacement! Now that's worthy of inclusion in a panto script. Well done Tibidabo! Actually I had the obligatory hip replacement about ten years ago. What I really need now is a couple of leg replacements! |
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