The Slipper Fits in Bradford
One more pantomime to see this season and it was Cinderella at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, because one of the Ugly Sisters, Jay Worthy, is a friend of mine. So off we went to see it tonight.
Of the pantos I've seen this winter, this was the one that had had the most money spent on it, with a large cast, many elaborate sets, 3D special effects (and very good they were, too) spectacular costumes and no fewer than three horses involved.
What they hadn't done was spend the money on - thankfully - some Celebrity who couldn't do the job.
Carrying the show as Buttons was Billy Pearce, a Yorkshire comedian straight from the old tradition of Variety, in the best sense of the word. A terrific rapport with the audience throughout and an energy level that started at 100% and if anything went up slightly as the show progressed. I liked his gag early on, when we weren't perhaps shouting as loudly as we did later on:
"Is this your first time as an audience?"
For all its modern effects, this was really a very traditonal panto performed by a superb cast who REALLY knew what they were doing.
The Ugly Sisters were not only ugly but Really Mean - the scene where they force Cinderella to tear up her own ticket for the ball was a horrible illustration of bullies' tactics everywhere. They were called Trinny and Susannah and they were vile - but we enjoyed booing them: they were superb. And they were both terrific song-and-dance men - - sorry, laydees.
Even the slapstick scene was funny and slick and I very often hate slapstick. I liked the music, the dancing, the jokes, the special effects, the attention to detail - - and, above all, the strong cast who knew just how to play it.
It's hard to compare different Christmas shows - I haven't seen a bad one this year - though believe me, I have in the past! I have seen a few which make me wince at the very memory, mostly of the worthy-but-dull type from some Bright Young Director trying to be different without understanding what makes theatre work in the first place.
"Hey, let's set it in a sewage works and in the end the kindness of the main character will turn all the sewage into corn to feed the hungry" - - oh well, not quite, but you see what I mean. I can't quote the real thing because it wouldn't be fair on some poor actors who were in these shows working their socks off to try to save a terrible script.
Meanwhile, if you want to see a perfect example of a big-budget, well staged, well-acted, wonderfully enjoyable British pantomime, you have until Sunday to get yourself to Bradford. And I strongly recommend that you do. You don't need to take a child with you - the youngest in our party was nineteen and the oldest was eighty-four - though if you happen to have a child to hand, they would love it.
This being Bradford with its large Asian population, you could have a great curry afterwards as well. Pantomime and curry! Two of the great British experiences in one day. Brilliant.
Of the pantos I've seen this winter, this was the one that had had the most money spent on it, with a large cast, many elaborate sets, 3D special effects (and very good they were, too) spectacular costumes and no fewer than three horses involved.
What they hadn't done was spend the money on - thankfully - some Celebrity who couldn't do the job.
Carrying the show as Buttons was Billy Pearce, a Yorkshire comedian straight from the old tradition of Variety, in the best sense of the word. A terrific rapport with the audience throughout and an energy level that started at 100% and if anything went up slightly as the show progressed. I liked his gag early on, when we weren't perhaps shouting as loudly as we did later on:
"Is this your first time as an audience?"
For all its modern effects, this was really a very traditonal panto performed by a superb cast who REALLY knew what they were doing.
The Ugly Sisters were not only ugly but Really Mean - the scene where they force Cinderella to tear up her own ticket for the ball was a horrible illustration of bullies' tactics everywhere. They were called Trinny and Susannah and they were vile - but we enjoyed booing them: they were superb. And they were both terrific song-and-dance men - - sorry, laydees.
Even the slapstick scene was funny and slick and I very often hate slapstick. I liked the music, the dancing, the jokes, the special effects, the attention to detail - - and, above all, the strong cast who knew just how to play it.
It's hard to compare different Christmas shows - I haven't seen a bad one this year - though believe me, I have in the past! I have seen a few which make me wince at the very memory, mostly of the worthy-but-dull type from some Bright Young Director trying to be different without understanding what makes theatre work in the first place.
"Hey, let's set it in a sewage works and in the end the kindness of the main character will turn all the sewage into corn to feed the hungry" - - oh well, not quite, but you see what I mean. I can't quote the real thing because it wouldn't be fair on some poor actors who were in these shows working their socks off to try to save a terrible script.
Meanwhile, if you want to see a perfect example of a big-budget, well staged, well-acted, wonderfully enjoyable British pantomime, you have until Sunday to get yourself to Bradford. And I strongly recommend that you do. You don't need to take a child with you - the youngest in our party was nineteen and the oldest was eighty-four - though if you happen to have a child to hand, they would love it.
This being Bradford with its large Asian population, you could have a great curry afterwards as well. Pantomime and curry! Two of the great British experiences in one day. Brilliant.
posted by Daphne at 11:23 pm
1 Comments:
Hi
You don't have to be a child to appreciate pantomime. We haven't even got a theatre in derby at present. Billy P>gearces picture makes him look very young. He's actually 54!
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