Writers: Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper
Director: Andrew Beckett
What’s the best bit about a British panto?
It’s not the storylines, it’s not even the encouragement to shout in the theatre. It’s the playful innuendo and bracing bawdiness that gets sprinkled liberally through these shows. They’re fantastic opportunities to bring the kids out for a Christmas treat, but there has to be something for the grown-ups too.
The new production company presenting this show, He’s Behind You – formed by some of the team behind the previous pantos at the superb and much lamented LGBTQ+ venue Above The Stag in Vauxhall – has done away with that much-loved innuendo almost entirely. They’ve replaced it with very open, gloriously creative smut and clear celebrations of everything naughty and queer. It’s absolute filth, and it’s absolutely fantastic.
It loosely follows the traditional story of Sleeping Beauty but rather than a princess avoiding a prick from a spindle, here we have a prince who needs to avoid a “sword in his scabbard” until he turns 21. It goes from there into many different, surprisingly coherent, directions with a tale of political jostling and power-grabbing that fans of Shakespeare’s Hamlet will be familiar with, several queer relationship subplots, a very camp alien visitor and a gorgeous section referencing My Fair Lady.
The unrelenting pace of jokes, current-affairs references and asides (some of which have the audience literally screaming in shock and delight) is impressive. It’s tiring, however, to get hit with so much, and the songs from Jon Bradfield dashed throughout are both pleasing in their own right, but provide welcome breaks to recharge a little. The singing performances are maybe not the thing to focus on here but they are fun and, combined with the choreography, certainly do the job.
Another departure from traditional panto here is that there’s not a Dame in sight. We have a Queen. Standing out brilliantly (from a generally great cast) is Matthew Baldwin as Queen Gertrude, wife of the murdered King and mother to Prince Arry (he who must beware of men with amorous intentions). Arch, bitchy, spoiled and utterly hilarious, Baldwin’s Queen is a lovely focal point for the show. The Queen is well supported by excellent performances from Jordan Stamatiadis as Daisy the fairy, Myles Hart as the fabulous alien visitor and love interest for Arry, and Nikki Biddington as palace maid Myrtle. Chris Lane as Prince Camembert (booo!) seems made to play the villain.
Any audience member will leave feeling pleasingly shocked that they’re getting away with something so generously and deliciously dirty on stage while keeping it so light and playful. It’s a triumph of creativity from collected dirty minds and delivered brilliantly by this great group of performers.
Runs until 13 January 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Good clean, filthy, fun
