Fun, lively slapstick British humour, everything you would expect from a pantomime during the festive season!
Goldilocks was a glittering colourful delight on a gloomy freezing Tuesday evening for press night this week. Whilst the performance followed the typical format of a panto, it also had some surprising additions in the form of the highly talented Dynamix Performing Arts Dance Troupe who added that extra sparkle and some daring stunts with silks, fire eating and high hoop acrobatics. That said, the added plot of the circus was a stroke of genius by the writer Reece Sibbald as it made the narrative not only easier to follow but more interesting.
Mama G was cast as the hilariously outrageous dame who delivered double entendres to perfection; working extra hard when four small children were invited onto the stage in the second half as one child in particular refused to communicate and just giggled.
The shining star of the show was Timothy Lucas playing Baron Von Vippemall who relished this part and quizzically took on many accents during the show which was hilarious albeit sometimes confusing. To be honest, I’m not sure if he confused himself and forgot what his character’s accent was supposed to be or if it was part of the show. Either way it was funny! Judging by the way he delivered his lines; posed and pranced around on the stage, popping up unexpectedly around the auditorium much to the delight of the audience, he was born for this style of role. I think he must have taken major inspiration from Jim Carrey’s character in The Mask and Chitty’s child catcher as strong traits of both characters were highly evident.
The costumes were absolutely amazing for all the characters and dancers as was the scenery. Regal Entertainments Ltd, pulled out all the stops. They were ostentatious and vibrant, totally befitting of a first class city centre pantomime.
The dancers with their amazing choreography (Nazene Langfield and Grade Faulkner) were all simply sublime. They were all en pointe hitting cues with ease and added exceptional value to the performance. Mollie Thorpe Franklin and Callum Fairfield, who I later learned was the baby of the troupe, really shone. Callum’s extra pirouettes and twills entering and leaving the stage catapulted him to a class of his own.
All cast members performed well demonstrating true professionalism despite the noise from the younger members of the audience (a large infant class, sat on the front row) who constantly screamed at the cast members and tried to climb onto the stage.
This panto is pure unadulterated fun from start to finish. With a running time of 2 hours 30 mins, it’s the perfect treat for all the family. Why not book tickets and be thoroughly entertained; having your Ho, Ho, Ho, reach new dizzy heights this festive season.
Book tickets 0344 736 0151 Friday 9th Dec – Sun 1st Jan 2023
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The Broken Spine is a poetry and arts collective proudly published on the coastal edge of North-West England. Founded in 2019 by Alan Parry and Paul Robert Mullen – two school friends reunited after twenty years through a mutual love of poetry.
