THE POPULARITY of panto at Christmas time is never in doubt but there will be some who will ask if having it at Easter as well is ‘overkill’.
While casts take to stages over the festive season and the audiences enter on the crest of a wave of Christmas spirit, you get the feeling those in an Easter panto have to really deliver something special – and this one did.
I can safely say Sleeping Beauty – Happily Ever After at Bromsgrove’s Artix has had some of the most outrageous and ‘naughty’ jokes I have ever seen in any show. It really pushed the comedy boundaries to the absolute limit and maybe even danced over the line a couple of times.
This show is definitely about the (especially risque) humour and 90 per cent for the adults but don’t worry if you are taking your family – most of the gags will go over your youngsters’ heads.
No topic was off-limits and there was plenty of hilarious banter with members of the audience, reminiscent of what you would see at a top stand-up comedy club. And I loved it (despite even being an unexpected participant).
The show is set post the happy ending of Sleeping Beauty. The kiss by the handsome prince to wake our heroin from her slumber is a distant memory and Aurora is moving on.
Individual performances
Jasmine Chadd and Dylan Jones as Aurora and Mal were fantastic. They were pitch-perfect vocally on all their musical performances – the solos and duets and one of the musical highlights of the evening – Who I’d Be, which also featured Maleficent.
Joe Clarkson was great as Russell the Crow, Maleficent’s feathered sidekick – he got plenty of laughs, especially during the ‘counselling’ scene with his master in the second act.
Anna Koniska made the role of Malfeficent her own – she was suitably evil, worked the crowd well and strutted around the stage like she owned it – just what you want from an archetypal baddie. She also got the largest applause and cheers of the evening after delivering her main number ‘Don’t Forget Me’ excellently, despite an untimely microphone malfunction. You could hear a pin drop in the audience as everyone leaned forward to hear every word she belted out.
Charlie Cosnett and Michelle Roberts put in wonderful performances as contrasting fairies – Flora, the confident but sensitive sister and Scottish Fauna as the brash no nonsense one. The on-stage chemistry between them and Dame Merryweather (the third fairy) was wonderful to watch as they bounced off each other with their sibling exchanges.
Ricardo Alexander in the ‘jester role’ as Dave whipped the audience up into a frenzy and got them to shout out his ‘Don’t dilly dally Dave’ catchphrase every time he entered the fray. His comedy timing was impeccable, especially during his stand-up style scenes. These featured volleys of one-liners coming so thick and fast the audience had not finished laughing out loud from the previous gag when the next one landed.
And when he and Chloe Yates (as Dame Merryweather) were on the stage, the crowd (and we’re talking about the adults here) was in constant hysterics – such was the outrageous boundary-pushing and pure naughtiness level of the jokes being delivered. Some were crying with laughter.
Yates was pure comedy personified – from her gestures and mannerisms to the perfect delivery of every one of her risque lines – and some of them were not for the feint-hearted or easily offended. Add to that the vocal range she showcased during her musical numbers and she and her character really did have everything – it was the most outstanding performance of the night.
Shout out to the dancers who brilliantly performed the choreographed routines and the set designer whose versatile creation enabled the action to seamlessly transition from the castle to outside the university and numerous other venues.
Well done to Joshua Davies for writing and directing this panto and comedy masterpiece and the talented cast and backstage crew for delivering a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining and hilarious evening.
The remaining shows take place at 2pm tomorrow (Saturday, April 26) and at 12pm and 4pm on Sunday (April 27).
This is a show not to be missed – even for those sceptical about ‘Easter Panto’.
Click here for more information and tickets – you will not be disappointed.
