A flying hoverboard, glittering costumes, great scenery and a good chance that you will leave the Darlington Hippodrome with a smile on your face can only mean one thing…it’s pantomime time…oh yes it is!
Sleeping Beauty has arrived and you are invited to the Kingdom of Darlo to witness this laugh a minute production. The Hippodrome has a tradition of producing a great family show every Christmas, and this year is no exception.
The cast
Every panto needs a villain – former Hi-Di-Hi star Su Pollard excelled as the evil Carabosse who aims to become Queen of Darlo – whilst you will have to attend the show to find out if she succeeds, Pollard really is the Queen of Panto, this is her fiftieth appearance in a pantomime. Now aged seventy five, she still had the energy of someone twenty years younger.
Lee Mead who rose to fame after winning the BBC series, Any Dream Will Do to take the role of Joseph in the West End, provided a touch of charm as the debonair Prince Lee, the chemistry between him and Princess Aurora, played beautifully by Stephenie Costi, seemed natural and believable.
Josh Benson returns to the Hippodrome stage again, this year he plays the Court Jester, Muddles. His rapport with the younger members of the audience was a joy to behold. Benson has served his apprenticeship well having starred as the funny guy in pantomimes over successive years in Halifax and also producing and directing family shows at York Maze. He lit up the stage whenever he appeared as his jokes and one liners were hilarious, though some might be more appreciated by the mums and dads attending!
Jamie Jones as Nurse Nellie gets to wear some of the most outrageous costumes of the show, with the majority designed by himself, he seemed to have more costume changes than you would see at a Paris fashion show! His rapport with Benson worked well, providing a great double act.
Sometimes lesser leading stars are given not as much credence as they deserve, thankfully Olivia Foster-Browne as the Spirit of the Pantomime was given chance to shine, she has a cracking singing voice which was not underplayed.
The music and choreography
The musical score mixes traditional songs with a few current artists, Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off gets an airing and even Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive gets a dusting off by Pollard as she opens up the second half with her version of the 1979 classic, though with a slight change of title to You Won’t Survive as she tries to conduct more treacherous deeds.
Predictably Mead gets the opportunity to perform his calling card, Any Dream Will Do which received a big cheer from his North East fans.
Despite the special effects, sometimes some simple slapstick can just as be rewarding; the “If I was not in Panto, something else I’d rather be” routine got more laughs from the youngsters – and the grown ups than some of the other scenes.
The choreography by Stephen Alexander and Alan Harding was notable as the dance troupe added to the panto by interacting with the cast members rather than solely dancing, though they never put a foot out of line.
With an inventive invitation to roll back the years to Pollard’s Hi- Di-Hi days, a yellow jacket appeared as the theme tune to the hit TV sit-com rang out around the Hippodrome before the cast joined in together in a celebratory finale.
With a show as entertaining as this, if you want to escape the modern world – for two hours at l least, I cannot recommend a better pick me up than this year’s Hippodrome Panto.
Runs until Tuesday 31 December 2024
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER
HELP US BECOME STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER POWERFUL CITIZEN JOURNALISM!
