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    #51
    Christmas Pantomimes

    Does this make the thread the place to mention the absolutely mindblowing Krankies biography?

    Fan-Dabi-Dozi!

    Comment


      #52
      Christmas Pantomimes

      Ian Krankie appears to have aged very little.

      Comment


        #53
        Christmas Pantomimes

        Well, it is Peter Pan.

        Comment


          #54
          Christmas Pantomimes

          A friend of mine who is a serious Actor is in Peter Pan this winter. Which he keeps insisting is NOT a pantomime. There's only one answer to that...

          Comment


            #55
            Christmas Pantomimes

            We saw "Snarl'd; The Rapunzel Panto" at the lovely Capitol Theatre in Port Hope on Saturday. Our fourth year going. This was the best one.

            Comment


              #56
              Christmas Pantomimes

              I never look forward to the panto. It's something I go to every year out of family obligation.

              But this year's production of Cinderella at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, which we went to this afternoon, was brilliant. I actually enjoyed it, which is a stupendous result given my view of the genre in general.

              Comment


                #57
                Christmas Pantomimes

                Gangster Octopus wrote: A friend of mine who is a serious Actor is in Peter Pan this winter. Which he keeps insisting is NOT a pantomime. There's only one answer to that...
                The only pantomime I've ever seen was Peter Pan, in 2012. I was invited, i.e. forced, to attend by my stepmother-in-law. Cost a fucking fortune as well.

                I wouldn't have minded (so much), but it was in Swedish. I'm not bad at reading and understanding Swedish newspapers, but I'm useless at making head or tail of Swedish pantomimes that I didn't want to see in the first place.

                Comment


                  #58
                  Christmas Pantomimes

                  Another manifestiation of Britain's strange obsession with cross-dressing.

                  Comment


                    #59
                    Christmas Pantomimes

                    Not having been to a panto for twenty five years or so, I'm going to see Little Red Riding Hood in Berwick-upon-Tweed. It looks like a local amateur/semi-professional production rather than a celeb driven one. This may not make much difference in practice, given my very low recognition rate for the goons on the posters upthread.

                    Comment


                      #60
                      Christmas Pantomimes

                      I suspect that being "celeb-driven" is probably a bad sign. I've been to 3 in Cambridge now, 2012, 2014 and this year, and they've all been both at least reasonably good (and in a distinctly upward trend which sadly must have peaked now) and totally celeb-free. The effort they'd have spent snaring a celeb has instead gone on getting very strong singers from professional west end musicals, and it has paid off.

                      Comment


                        #61
                        Christmas Pantomimes

                        I've been in a community panto version of The Wizard of Oz (and helped write much of the script). It was great fun.

                        Whether it was fun to watch as a punter I don't know.

                        Comment


                          #62
                          Christmas Pantomimes

                          Evariste Euler Gauss wrote: The effort they'd have spent snaring a celeb has instead gone on getting very strong singers from professional west end musicals, and it has paid off.
                          I'm hoping we'll benefit from a similar focussing of resources.

                          I saw John Nettles and Les Dawson do panto together a few times in the 1980s; they were good friends and seemed to enjoy working together. While not exactly fashionable, they were both bona fide stars in their fields at the time. Is it still a fun option or more of a grim necessity for the current crop of tights-fill performers?

                          Comment


                            #63
                            Christmas Pantomimes

                            I'm now 8 years clean of Panto, and hope never have to go anywhere near one again. It might look like loads of fun from the front but go backstage and it's weeks and weeks of hard work and graft for very little thanks and hardly any quality time when the rest of the country is taking it easy.

                            Starting point is usually 9am on a Sunday morning, just a few hours after the Tech crew have finished taking down all the kit from last weeks show and packing it into wagons, more full wagons turn up with tons more kit to get into the theatre to rig and build whilst exhausted/half asleep. Barring no problems, (like the set having been sat in a barn for a year and getting trashed when it was loaded onto the truck meaning the Head of Stage then has to put the fecking thing back together before it can be rigged and built!) the crew might be lucky to get away by 11pm that night. If not then the crew will have to do an overnighter, yet still be expected to start afresh at 9am Monday morning!

                            A great tradition in British Theatre are Xmas parties, and without fail office staff will organise said party for a night when there's "nothing on"! Now fair enough there is no performance that night, but a week of at least 9am - 11pm calls minimum means there is no chance of the crew getting there, said crew then get called Scrooge for not coming!

                            There is a moment of respite when the lighting designer and his team plot the show, essentially crew set up each scene, but manage to get some rest as this process takes time.

                            Then the real fun starts, cast arrive, most of the pro cast are experienced and know how things work and what to do. Sadly the bulk of the cast are "Juves" recruited from some local hideous Dance School, they are loud excitable and utterly incapable of doing as they are told! But the authorities have rules about this and they must be chaperoned at all times by responsible adults, so no problem there? Wrong! 100% of Panto chaperones are the Mothers of the Juves, who having no idea how things work backstage, but have the trump card of being the childs Mother. Typical exchange, "you're crew nearly hit my child with that scenery!" You're child shouldn't be on stage during scene changes!" "She wanted to watch!"

                            So then starts the technical rehearsal, which is essentially days of herding cats, and repeating over and over again the same things to the same people who are incapable of absorbing the information. Then onto the dress rehearsals, which there are usually two off, but the theatre management has papered the house for DR2 so you only get one go of getting it right before the punters are in.

                            Then comes opening night and more importantly the first night party. At best one theatre I worked at would make sure all the crew and guest were there and have a free bar and also not schedule a matinee for the next day so we could really tie one on. At worst another place I worked banned crew from the opening night party "because you'll all get really drunk!"

                            Then it's into the run to Xmas day, 2/3 shows a day till you finally get a whole day off! some have different ways of dealing with this, personally I would always make sure to make the most of the day, beginning at 9am with a Peter Cook "heart starter", and eating and drinking well all day.

                            After one day off Boxing Day brings the joy of the Juves assuming the entire theatre is there for the purpose of playing with all their new toys, the chaperones happily assist them with this by wedging all the fire doors open with fire extinguishers and seeing nothing wrong with doing so! They usually follow this up with a demand for your sacking for being mean to their children.

                            New year comes and goes with barely a flicker, but at least in the last week the crew their one moment of fun, the Cod Panto. Essentially during the run the crew size up the cast, the way they behave, their habits, their cock ups and the stuff they don't think we notice but we do! This is then turned into a show loosely based on the panto plot but turned into an excuse to utterly rip the shit out of them! The whole occasion is completely fuelled by beer!

                            Finally it comes to and end, usually on a Sunday night. The cast will usually add loads of time to the show by fannying about and the "star" will then add even more with some long winded goodbye speech. As soon as the tabs are finally in the crew immediately start on taking the whole lot down and getting it packed into the wagons waiting outside during the night finishing about 7/8am. Some of the crew will then go home, but the full timers and regulars will be expected to start again at 9am when the wagons with that weeks show arrives. So that's the "magic" of Panto from workers in my trade, so give us a thought when you go along, a lot of people work very hard for it all to happen!

                            Comment


                              #64
                              Christmas Pantomimes

                              I assume that you pay to be able to do all that...

                              Comment


                                #65
                                Christmas Pantomimes

                                Last night we took the kids to Dee Snider's Rock and Roll Xmas Tale, featuring Dee (Twisted Sister) and Taylor Dayne.

                                The long and short; it's the story of a failed hair metal band who decide to improve their fortunes by swearing allegiance to Satan. Instead, their lead singer - who can't spell - writes Santa on the 'oath'. So instead of the hoped-for sex, drugs and rock and roll, they make it big with rockin' versions of Christmas songs...much to their chagrin. Dee narrates and 'hosts' the play.

                                Anyway, it's marvellous fun and the kids had a blast. The shame is that it was poorly promoted and the house was (maybe) 1/4 full. The run, planned to Jan 4, was cut to Dec 20. A miserable shame for all concerned, because it deserves much better.

                                Comment


                                  #66
                                  Christmas Pantomimes

                                  Squarewheelbike wrote: I'm now 8 years clean of Panto, and hope never have to go anywhere near one again. It might look like loads of fun from the front but go backstage and it's weeks and weeks of hard work and graft for very little thanks and hardly any quality time when the rest of the country is taking it easy.

                                  Starting point is usually 9am on a Sunday morning, just a few hours after the Tech crew have finished taking down all the kit from last weeks show and packing it into wagons, more full wagons turn up with tons more kit to get into the theatre to rig and build whilst exhausted/half asleep. Barring no problems, (like the set having been sat in a barn for a year and getting trashed when it was loaded onto the truck meaning the Head of Stage then has to put the fecking thing back together before it can be rigged and built!) the crew might be lucky to get away by 11pm that night. If not then the crew will have to do an overnighter, yet still be expected to start afresh at 9am Monday morning!

                                  A great tradition in British Theatre are Xmas parties, and without fail office staff will organise said party for a night when there's "nothing on"! Now fair enough there is no performance that night, but a week of at least 9am - 11pm calls minimum means there is no chance of the crew getting there, said crew then get called Scrooge for not coming!

                                  There is a moment of respite when the lighting designer and his team plot the show, essentially crew set up each scene, but manage to get some rest as this process takes time.

                                  Then the real fun starts, cast arrive, most of the pro cast are experienced and know how things work and what to do. Sadly the bulk of the cast are "Juves" recruited from some local hideous Dance School, they are loud excitable and utterly incapable of doing as they are told! But the authorities have rules about this and they must be chaperoned at all times by responsible adults, so no problem there? Wrong! 100% of Panto chaperones are the Mothers of the Juves, who having no idea how things work backstage, but have the trump card of being the childs Mother. Typical exchange, "you're crew nearly hit my child with that scenery!" You're child shouldn't be on stage during scene changes!" "She wanted to watch!"

                                  So then starts the technical rehearsal, which is essentially days of herding cats, and repeating over and over again the same things to the same people who are incapable of absorbing the information. Then onto the dress rehearsals, which there are usually two off, but the theatre management has papered the house for DR2 so you only get one go of getting it right before the punters are in.

                                  Then comes opening night and more importantly the first night party. At best one theatre I worked at would make sure all the crew and guest were there and have a free bar and also not schedule a matinee for the next day so we could really tie one on. At worst another place I worked banned crew from the opening night party "because you'll all get really drunk!"

                                  Then it's into the run to Xmas day, 2/3 shows a day till you finally get a whole day off! some have different ways of dealing with this, personally I would always make sure to make the most of the day, beginning at 9am with a Peter Cook "heart starter", and eating and drinking well all day.

                                  After one day off Boxing Day brings the joy of the Juves assuming the entire theatre is there for the purpose of playing with all their new toys, the chaperones happily assist them with this by wedging all the fire doors open with fire extinguishers and seeing nothing wrong with doing so! They usually follow this up with a demand for your sacking for being mean to their children.

                                  New year comes and goes with barely a flicker, but at least in the last week the crew their one moment of fun, the Cod Panto. Essentially during the run the crew size up the cast, the way they behave, their habits, their cock ups and the stuff they don't think we notice but we do! This is then turned into a show loosely based on the panto plot but turned into an excuse to utterly rip the shit out of them! The whole occasion is completely fuelled by beer!

                                  Finally it comes to and end, usually on a Sunday night. The cast will usually add loads of time to the show by fannying about and the "star" will then add even more with some long winded goodbye speech. As soon as the tabs are finally in the crew immediately start on taking the whole lot down and getting it packed into the wagons waiting outside during the night finishing about 7/8am. Some of the crew will then go home, but the full timers and regulars will be expected to start again at 9am when the wagons with that weeks show arrives. So that's the "magic" of Panto from workers in my trade, so give us a thought when you go along, a lot of people work very hard for it all to happen!
                                  Am I the only one who read that in a Krusty the Klown voice?

                                  Comment


                                    #67
                                    Christmas Pantomimes

                                    WOM wrote: Last night we took the kids to Dee Snider's Rock and Roll Xmas Tale, featuring Dee (Twisted Sister) and Taylor Dayne.

                                    The long and short; it's the story of a failed hair metal band who decide to improve their fortunes by swearing allegiance to Satan. Instead, their lead singer - who can't spell - writes Santa on the 'oath'. So instead of the hoped-for sex, drugs and rock and roll, they make it big with rockin' versions of Christmas songs...much to their chagrin. Dee narrates and 'hosts' the play.

                                    Anyway, it's marvellous fun and the kids had a blast. The shame is that it was poorly promoted and the house was (maybe) 1/4 full. The run, planned to Jan 4, was cut to Dec 20. A miserable shame for all concerned, because it deserves much better.
                                    Good gracious, that sounds amazing!

                                    Comment


                                      #68
                                      Christmas Pantomimes

                                      That does sound good. Maybe we'll get a couple of members of Venom in Berwick.

                                      Comment


                                        #69
                                        Christmas Pantomimes

                                        When we were kids our parents took us to see Des O'Connor in panto at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham. Aladin I think.

                                        Comment


                                          #70
                                          Christmas Pantomimes

                                          My brother-in-law is in this in Tunbridge Wells over Christmas. It's not really a panto, mind...

                                          Comment


                                            #71
                                            Christmas Pantomimes

                                            Panto in Bolton usually belongs to Stu Francis, but this year he seems to have been usurped by Keith Bloody Chegwin.

                                            Comment


                                              #72
                                              Christmas Pantomimes

                                              Kevchenko wrote: But, in case you're wondering, Fletcher is doing Dick Whittington at the Hexagon, Reading.

                                              This year Southport has Justin Fletcher, playing the magic mirror in Snow White. However if you check the small print it does say that he "appears via video projection and does not appear in person in the show". I'm guessing he's "appearing" in quite a few pantos around the country in this way.

                                              Actually appearing is Lynne McGranger, who is apparently a "Home and Away legend".

                                              Comment


                                                #73
                                                Christmas Pantomimes

                                                Southport Zeb wrote: Actually appearing is Lynne McGranger, who is apparently a "Home and Away legend".
                                                They're all legends on that show.

                                                Comment


                                                  #74
                                                  Christmas Pantomimes

                                                  The only pantomime I've ever seen was Peter Pan, in 2012. I was invited, i.e. forced, to attend by my stepmother-in-law. Cost a fucking fortune as well.

                                                  I wouldn't have minded (so much), but it was in Swedish. I'm not bad at reading and understanding Swedish newspapers, but I'm useless at making head or tail of Swedish pantomimes that I didn't want to see in the first place.
                                                  This reminded me of something unrelated to Panto.

                                                  When I was about 9 or 10, my school teacher took me and 3 others to see "The Magic Flute" in the cinema, in Swedish. Nothing weird happened except going to see a Swedish movie with a teacher.

                                                  I am not a fan of Panto, but, having never seen one, it's only a feeling.

                                                  Comment


                                                    #75
                                                    Christmas Pantomimes

                                                    My local panto scene offers up for 2016: Lee from Steps in Rickmansworth and Bobby Davro in Watford.

                                                    Going to give it a miss.

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