Cinderella by Mary Stevens Hospice Panto Company Reviewed 9 February 2024 5/5 This Ball is full of sparkle! The Mary Stevens Hospice Pantomime Company have a reputation for putting on a spectacular show, and this year they have excelled themselves. Right from the start the spectacle and simply amazing special effects give a hint of what is to come. This year the regulars are joined by BGT finalist Amy-Lou as the Fairy Godmother, and Bruce Jones (Les Battersby in Coronation Street) as Baron Hardup. Amy makes a fantastic fairy, quickly gaining the support of a packed house, and the power be ..read more

Dick Whittington – Priory Theatre (Amateur) reviewed 21 December 2023 3/5 Dick Whittington lost his way a little. We get to see some great amateur pantomimes, and the Priory panto is usually no exception. Unfortunately, at least on the night we were there, this year’s offering seemed to miss the target. As it was only the second performance you could forgive the odd fluffed line, and the first couple of times it was quite funny. Sadly, it happened a little too often, with the rest of the cast being put off their stroke, which was a shame. Another Priory staple that was missing this year ..read more

Jack and the Beanstalk – Voulez-Vouz productions Reviewed 16th December 4/5 A traditional production with some sterling performances. Jack and the Beanstalk at the Barrington Theatre may not have the jaw-dropping effects and eye-watering budget of some of the larger shows around, but the small cast more than make up for that in sheer hard work. Headed up by Kev Stevens (known locally as Krazy Kev), who also wrote and directed the show, the cast of five worked their socks off to entertain the audience, which at 11am is not an easy job. With some suitably bad jokes, Kev does his best to k ..read more

Robin Hood by Campus WestReviewed 9 December 2023 5/5 This Robin Hood hits the target! Robin Hood is a difficult story for a pantomime, but Campus West in Welwyn Garden City have come up trumps. While the script by Jonas Cemm (who also directs) and Jo Sargent (who plays the Sherriff of Nottingham) may be a little wordy at times – there is a lot of story to get through – the energetic cast do a great job of keeping it zipping along. On the afternoon we attended, the audience seemed particularly tough, but by the interval the kids (and their parents) were up and dancing along. Musical direc ..read more

Jack and the Beanstalk by Evolution Productions Reviewed 2 December 2023 5/5 Fabulous production full of beans! This year’s offering from Evolution Productions and the team at Theatre Severn is Jack and the Beanstalk. Written by Paul, it is an updated take on the tale of a young lad who swaps the family cow for some magic beans. We have a new hero in the form of Jess, a gutsy girl who leads the fight against the giant and his sidekick, Luke Backinanger. We still have Jack Trott, who has all the looks but not the nerve, and Jack and Jill are joined by Jack’s brother Billy. The plot centres a ..read more

4/5 Pantoland is the latest offering from Peter Duncan and Jack Be Nimble Ltd via  www.pantoonline.co.uk.  Peter, TV presenter, actor, panto dame, and former Chief Scout, launched the website during the pandemic, as a way of bringing pantomime to the masses during lockdown. The first two productions, Jack and the Beanstalk and last year’s Cinderella, followed a fairly traditional format and storyline. This year’s offering is a little different. Rather than having a storyline or plot of its own, Pantoland is instead a collection of stories, songs, and loosely panto related sketch ..read more

Peter Pan by Mary Stevens Hospice Reviewed 17th February 2023 5/5 In the words of a popular TV dance show judge – FAB-U-LOUS! Having never seen a pantomime version of peter Pan, I was a little nervous, but I needn’t have worried as right from the start I had a wide grin on my face! With a script by Steve Arnott & Michael Harrison, and under the direction of Will Phipps, the show kept what looked like a full house entertained from start to finish. Lighting, scenery and costumes were amazing, and Mr Smee’s surprise ‘flight’ over the audience at the end of act 1 has to be seen to be belie ..read more

Aladdin by Imagine Theatre Reviewed 30th December 2022 5/5 If you are looking for a panto full of energy, then Aladdin at the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe could be just the ticket. Written by panto stalwart Eric Potts, this Aladdin is set in Chinatown in Crewe, and is filled with a good mix of topical gags as well as tried and tested routines. Taking the lead role, and making his pantomime debut, is Thomas A. Chan. Thomas brings the right amount of cheeky charm to the role, and is nicely paired with Kiera-Nicole, who the younger kids will recognise from Channel 5’s Milkshake, as Princess Jasm ..read more

Snow White by Crossroads Pantomimes Independent review by Emily Moran on 21st December 2022 5/5 I went to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the New Wimbledon Theatre and I had a wonderful time! It was an amazing performance with colourful costumes, great singing and dancing, magical acts from John Archer as Oddjob and hilarious comedy routines from Matthew Kelly as Nelly Nightnurse, and not forgetting Dick and Dom, just getting the kids but adults to join in and shout out ‘boogies!’ Ruthie Henshall was incredible as the Wicked Queen and great vocals from Brenda Edwards as the Spirit ..read more

Cinderella by Anton Benson Productions Independent review by Stuart Torn on 17th December 2022 5/5 Watching Cinderella at the Princes Theatre in Clacton was a delight. I went there last year to watch their production of Jack and the Beanstalk and after that I knew I’d discovered something special. The jokes were unique and hilarious and even when something went slightly wrong on stage, they worked it into the performance and made it even more funny. The cast was made up of Britain’s Got Talent’s George Sampson as the Prince and Graeme Matthews as Buttons, “Comin Atcha” Cleopatra as a Fai ..read more