Theatre
from a Deal or no Deal parody to a 'Sheila's Wheels‘ intro for the Dame. and the songs are well chosen favourites well sung. The cast perform with appealing freshness and vigour. with Cramond's interactive Dame keeping the edge on the innuendo. and Jack's endearing hero tipping some well timed winks at the audience. Most of all. Katrina Bryan's cheek-pinchingly winsome Alice is a treat. perhaps the panto turn of the season from a young performer we deserve to see more of.
(Steve Cramer)
HANSEL AND GRETEL The Arches, Glasgow, until Sun 7 Jan
The Pitch Hansel (Helen Mallon) and Gretel (Isobel Joss) are abandoned in the forest by their evil stepmother (Julie Brown). so that herself and the father (Stewart Ennis) have two less mouths to feed. However. the children prove astute when caught by the evil witch (Al Seed) and make their way back home. armed with food.
The Verdict Andy Arnold‘s show (from the Brothers Grimm version) is a panto- ette. running at a short-but-sweet 55 minutes. making it better suited for younger children. 3 year-old hecklers and background noise meant the actors fOught to get every 'it's behind you' heard. but the show's energy stayed high. Jeni Campbell's neat stage design complete with puppets set the scene fOr booing. hissing and singing ‘through the forest“. Younger children became part of the play. talking and interacting with the characters whilst crying babies were consoled by the father‘s calming lullaby. A sweet fairytale but best for the little 'uns. (Clare Sinclair)
Peter Pan
100 THE LIST 14 Dec 9008—4 Jan 2007
PETER PAN Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, until Wed
24 Jan .00
The Pitch 35 year old man Pan (Cameron-Big Brother-Stout), who definitely won't be doing more growing. flies into the Darling sibling‘s (Stephen Purdon and Laura McMonagle) window and whisks them. Nanny Clyde (Dean Parks) and Nana the dug off to Neverland. There they enc0unter Hook (boo). Smee and Smelly (who?) and the talented midriff dancers (woo woo). a wee treat for the dads. But when Hook kidnaps Wendy. will they rescue her from the dreaded plank?
The Verdict Complete with clap along numbers. innuendo. late comer abuse and bam bashing; you join the Pan posse as they travel through the cardboard cut out sets. The spectaCular laser light show and the Scottish folk remix of ‘wee Andy Webber‘s' tunes are definite highlights. There are numerous predictable Real Radio. Big Brother and River City jokes. but apart from the odd references to the Blue Lagoon and Sausage Roll Street. the Weegie winks we love so much are thinly spread. Talking of food. wait till you hear Tinkercat's 'twelve days of fast food' song. If that makes you hungry you'll be ready for your sweets. what? No sweets! Boo hiss. (Greer Ogston)
CINDERELLA Perth Theatre, until Sat 6 Jan 0000
The Pitch Pity poor Baron Hardup. as feeble as a bowl of watery broth with a dicky ticker to boot. blitz-fully wedded to arch shrew Dodda Mutton. stepfather to a pair of hideous harpies who COuld give Lucrezia Borgia a run for her money in the monstrosity stakes. Mercifully the good Baron can
always rely on saintly daughter (there's no in-between in Pantoland) Cinderella to save him from being bumped off by this unholy trio. Though the virtuous one is not short of dilemmas of her own. namely: who was that handsome rake she fell in love with in the forest? How can she sc0re an invitation to that damned royal ball? And how in the name of the wee man does she get the skidmarks out of the Ugly Sisters' bloomers?
The Verdict lan Grieve and Jimmy Chisholm's take on this most time- honoured of panto tales is resolutely traditional. fizzing along in a golden coach of sweetie showers. slightly risque humour. local references and catchy singaglongs. Chisholm and Joe Gallagher as Ugly Sisters Senga and Bella provide the bqu of the show's laughs. including an outstanding 'body pump' routine. which includes the unforgettable line 'If you want to trim
your tum. Just blow it out your bum'. You can jUSt imagine what the kids thought of that . . . (Allan Radcliffe)
HANSEL AND GRETEL Dundee Rep, until Sat 6 Jan 0000
The Pitch A kindly but impoverished woodcutter. with aSpirations of becoming the next Gordon Ramsay. dwells on the edge of a forest with hIS hide0usly deformed. flatulent Wife and two children, inch-thick Hansel and plucky Gretel. Keen to get hubby's Cuisine all to herself. Mommie dearest leads the children deep into the forest. As luck would have it. the starving. frightened pair stumbles across a house made Out of gingerbread With a welcoming light in the windows . . . The Verdict Phil Porter's wonderfully inventive twist on the classic Grimm tale hooks his audience of all ages from the up. the angular sets. colourful, elaborate costumes. atmospheric music and uniformly energetic performances creating an exhilarating. deliciously twisted fable for festive theatregoers. There's a strong influence of the grotesque at work here. the villains being reminiscent of some of the more pernicious characters from The League of Gent/emen. with an extraordinary d0uble turn by Ann Louise Ross as evil stepmum and balding. blind. German witch. But the scary moments are offset by a healthy dose of crude humour and various comic Supporting characters.
(Allan Radcliffe)