We’re in Central Brighton on a Thursday night, and rats are scuttling across the floor. No, it’s not a dodgy takeaway on West Street. We’re at Dick: REMIXED, the latest offering from Brighton Alternative Panto. Is the 2026 edition hard to beat, or a little limp?
Evil Queen rat has malodorous plans to send sewage descending down the streets of Brighton. Complete with her rat-pack pals Scratch and Sniff, will her dastardly dung plans succeed?
Not if Dick has anything to say about it. With Fluffy, his furry, wry-faced friend at his side, we adventure from the streets of London to Love Island, where our hero may just get lucky.
The plot of Dick is fun, fabulous and engaging for the audience. In general, the sidekicks are the stars of the show here. Fluffy (Davina Sparkle) is particularly sensational. With zero-fecks-given energy and immaculately timed eye-rolls, the audience are left wanting more. The iconic duo of Scratch (Lovinia Belle) and Sniff (Mary O’Kart) deliver radiant rodent energy, complete with crotch-scratching joy. Salty (Anthony Kirk) and Sandy (Max Conway) are also a delight, serving sass and never-wavering musical theatre energy. There’s rarely a moment when they aren’t gleefully thrusting their pert posteriors in the faces of the pensioners in the front row, salacious grins on full display.
Live music adds a powerful touch to the panto. The most successful songs include local references (who doesn’t enjoy a pop at Worthing or St. James’s Street?) and get really silly. Of particular glory, a song about alternative career paths for panto stars that turns into a cacophony of synchronised action and song. Love it.
Does Dick meet length expectations? At over 3 hours including an interval, it’s a fair old duration for even the most dedicated of Dick fans. This reviewer feels that the script could do with being tighter; some scenes and songs feel like they’re filling a hole that didn’t need filling. The second half is seriously strong, but by this point we’re already over two hours in. There’s also a lingering sense that they could have done with a couple more rehearsals before treading the boards of the Ironworks. With the environment in the arts being so tough these days, many companies are having to be resourceful with their time and production. The effort and energy that has gone into making Dick a sell-out success really shows. The props and costumes in this show are heaven-sent. This is a local show with professional aspirations.
Brighton Alternative Pantomime has been going for decades, and with director and writer Paul-Lawrence Thomas at the helm in its current form, has had a recent refresh. It has clearly built a community of people who adore it, who attend every year as an important marker in their calendar. Shows like this are part of the character of an area, and all the more special for it. They also raise funds for important charities such as Sussex Beacon, Lunch Positive and the Alzheimer’s Society every year, which is to be applauded. Go to Brighton Alternative Pantomime for the joy, the sass and the community, all of which it offers in abundance. Long live local theatre.
Reviewed on 29th January
