A great panto for the uninitiated
A “Wilton’s hat trick” is how actor and co-writer Daniel Clarkson describes Potted Panto, that has just opened for another Christmas here and this year sees him shoulder to shoulder with actor Gary Trainor, a relative newbie to the award-winning and quite long-running show, writes Eleanor Thorn.
That they’ve gone from West End to East End is a definite source of mirth, but if you are one of those who are in on the Wilton’s Music Hall secret, you know that such a move is without fail a special thing. It being the only surviving Grand Music Hall in the world, pantomime is a must in the calendar.
Dan and Gary, as they go by on and off stage, are blokes, sometimes in skirts and wigs, bloke-ily presenting a selection of pantomime précis. Six in total, though you might count seven, as in the last one Gary walks into A Christmas Carol as Aladdin instead of Scrooge, creating yet more potted pandemonium. In the first, Dan enters proudly as the lead role: Beanstalk instead of Jack, and so it ensues.
Throughout, we are told that Dan is new to panto and so needs everything spelt out: to look out for doubles-entendre, to say “He’s behind you!”, when to boo and when to respond “Oh no he’s not” or “Oh yes he is”, which actually makes this a great panto for the uninitiated (the young and the non-British!).
Recent tweaks to the script have resulted in such references as the misdeeds of the HRH-no-more Prince Andrew, the social media exploits of Elon Musk and the sackings at the BBC. “Surely Claudia Winkleman in Traitors isn’t the only good thing to have happened this year!” they say. Jack’s magic beans come baked and in a tin. The golden goose is here a moose. King Rat was rapping and the Sheik of Barbary more like Shakin’ Stevens. There’s poo and “oui oui” jokes too – perfect for the French audience the show is next destined to entertain.
We loved how one character became more, thanks to the use of a fairground cut-out, enabling Dan to become all seven dwarves at once, or in his words ,“six seven”, which caused cackles amongst the older children in the audience (if you know you know), and turned into both ugly sisters when a conjoined-twin-style doll was attached to his dress.
Post interval we were treated to a potted potted potted reminder of what had gone before. But what got the audience most involved and on its feet was the marvellous steering of Cinderella’s horse-drawn vehicle that we all got to do, as the theatre became a carriage careering home through the night.
“I really enjoyed the intense red and black backdrop that was kept throughout the show, the main characters were super goofy and were always trying to act hilarious to crack the audience up with their interactions and jokes”, writes Martha, 12.
And don’t miss exploring the rustically restored bars upstairs and down while you’re there.
Wilton’s Music Hall. Grace Alley, E1 until January 3rd.
Booking and full details: https://wiltons.org.uk/
