To a casual observer, pantomimes are an annual event, something you are inevitably dragged to at some stage in your life, and whilst they are fun to watch, it's sometimes disregarded as an art form, even mocked.
Here is how the pantomime at De Montford Hall in Leicester proves pantomimes are so much more than what we give them credit for.
The cast for starters were a treasure all of their own. Sam Bailey, a former X Factor winner, absolutely shone in the role of Fairy Flutterby, and whilst her voice was never up for debate as to how great it is, what took me by surprise was how she wore pantomime like a second skin; she just slipped into another character the way her voice can slip into any song with ease.
Jarred Christmas stole the show for me. His every day career as a comedian was always going to help and not hinder a role in a pantomime, but what is a skill that should never go unappreciated is the way to adapt yourself and the comedy you present to a younger audience. At every stage of the show, he invited the audience in to every joke, and made sure everyone was included into the story, and did it all with a twinkle in his eye. His character, "Lazy Larry", was, ironically, never lazy in making every joke, every line hit, and pushing the story along.
Scott Mills was a pantomime newbie, but was always going to be a big crowd pleaser because of his role in radio. Whilst it was clear it was his time doing a pantomime, it was also clear he enjoyed every minute of it, and he was a pleasant surprise and a welcome addition to the cast. The show also didn't waste any chance to highlight his radio background, and made references to it that strangely enough made sense in the world that had been created.
This is the beauty of pantomime in a nutshell: it shoehorns references in that will delight the audience, whilst not taking away from the story itself.
A1's Mark Read, and Christina Harris, made up our Jack and Jill. They were charming in their prospective roles and, again, the show didn't shy away from highlighting Mark's pop background, and in fact made it a key point of his character, as he was constantly referencing 90s songs. I thought that was a rather clever quirk to include, as it was another point to engage the audience, which is always vital in a pantomime.
I can't go on about a pantomime without referencing the dame, which is a very tricky role to absolutely nail. The audience has to be aware, even the children, that the dame is a man playing a woman, but in such a way that the woman is too ridiculous a figure to even be real, which is where the humor comes from. Jack Ballard was absolutely fantastic and made Dame Trott a ridiculous but warm hearted character that we all could laugh at and root for in the same breath.
I also have to comment that Mark Beauchamp made an excellent baddy as Fleshcreep. He knew how to play to the audience, even when perhaps the audience weren't as reactive as they could've been. It was just so convincing a role, and it made it easy to react to as an audience.
The set was absolutely gorgeous, the choice of music absolutely outstanding as well. I particularly loved the "Tonight Belongs to You" choice to close out Act 1. Being a huge fan of "The Prom" musical, not only did I love the song already, but I loved the twist in words to make it all about Jack as he ascended the beanstalk.
All in all, it was a fantastic show, I had a massive smile on my face from the start to the end. Every cast member, from the ensemble, to the leads, acted as if this show had to be the very best one of their lives. Pantomime is an amazing art form because there's something for everyone: rude jokes for the adults, slapstick for the children, and music and dancing to entertain everyone.
The key to a good pantomime I believe is showing your audience you are having a good time. If they buy that, they will buy into all the other magic that is created on stage. I have never seen a pantomime that has not put a smile on its audiences' faces. This one created smiles, laughter and pure joy, three things the world can never have enough of.
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