What a treat to review a West End show. Christmas in London is always so magical, so how exciting to see a Panto. Magical, this is not! I’m not completely convinced it’s a children’s show either, although there were a lot of laughs from the younger members of the audience. The real guffaws came from the adults. The performance is delivered by CBBC stars Jeff (Jefferson Turner) and Dan (Daniel Clarkson), who wrote and devised the show that this is. They are also responsible for the Potted Potter show – with all of the Harry Potter stories in one.
Jeff and Dan are as ridiculously funny as Ant and Dec used to be before they became mainstream. They clown around for the full 70 minutes, not many props are needed and there’s not the usual array of over-the-top panto costumes, but a real lively performance. In true panto fashion it’s exit stage left and enter stage right with non-stop action, fast-paced talking and audience participation. Potted Panto has previously been nominated for an Olivier award and well deserved. It’s clever, silly, festive and traditional all rolled into one.
The performance is full of jokes, innuendoes, and good old-fashioned fun. Jeff and Dan have been performing Potted Panto for twelve years now. I have seen it advertised many times and have never had the time or opportunity to see it. When you are faced with so many pantomime options in London, this seems like the real deal – seven pantos in one. We step quickly inside Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Snow White, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Dick Whittington and end up in A Christmas Carol (not a real panto but a story about ghosts and Scrooge). You have to keep up with the pace as they are onto the next panto before you’ve realised. Lots of quick changes, wigs and running about the stage. Jeff and Dan are very energetic and fast talking. I would also like to mention the support actors and performers for their input Liam Jeavons, Kevin Yates, Charlotte Payne (the good fairy with the voice of an angel), Jacob Jackson. We have the usual topical gags, especially when sleeping beauty sleeps for 100 years and in just one year how many prime ministers and monarchs have we had? We consider whether it’s ok to kiss sleeping women and partially dead ones in coffins. Political correctness has changed how we view our old-fashioned fairytales. Should we steal the giant’s gold and then kill him? The original story-tellers – the brothers Grimm could not imagine that their un-Disneyfied harsh and somewhat scary stories could be seen as inappropriate in the 21st century.
To make sure that the audience are not dozing we all have to stand up and take part. We sing along and have a jolly festive good time. Go and see this for a bit of festive family fun. Set in the Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, with shows on at 11am this still leaves time to see the Christmas lights and do a spot of Christmas shopping or sale shopping afterwards. Great ticket price of £20 as well.
Before you go, practise the following words to the Merry Christmas Everybody song:
“So here it is Potted Panto,
It was seventy minutes long
And here’s our happy ending
A cheesy Christmas song”
Reviewer - Penny Curran
on - 18.12.22
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