Stage: Step back in time

Growled: Beauty and the Beast Continues...
by Paul Joseph, Tim Benzie
director Tim McArthur
with Lucy Penrose, Matthew Ferry, Ada Campe, Robert McNeilly, Jo Wickham, Katherine Leyva 
musical director Annemarie Lewis Thomas
costumes Michelle Taylor • set Jessie Huckin
sound and lighting Andy Hill
Royal Vauxhall Tavern, London • 25.Nov.25-3.Jan.26 ★★★★

Each year, the Christmas pantomime at Royal Vauxhall Tavern is a joyous explosion of pure silliness, playfully indulging in time-honoured traditions while giving everything a happily queer spin. This year's show plays out like a deranged sequel to Beauty and the Beast that has been spiked with multiverse nonsense, audience interaction, fresh gags and musical numbers ranging from Broadway classics to current pop hits. And while it's never as sexy as we wish it would be, it's a generous blast of festive fun.

The plot catches up with Belle (Lucy Penrose) as she is now married to the Prince (Matthew Ferry) and bored with the life of a happily-ever-after princess. And the Prince is longing to once again run wild in the woods with his furry friends. Meanwhile, Mrs Spout (Robert McNeilly in the panto dame role) hopes to complete her transition from crockery to human. And the sneering villain Asston (Jo Wickham) is conniving to get Belle for himself. Enter Belle's father the Inventorer (Ada Campe, also gender-swapping), who has built a time machine (played by perpetually sidelined "understudy" Katherine Leyva) that propels everyone back two years so they can sort out the mess before it happens.

As these characters meet their past selves, things get so convoluted that even the cast members struggle to maintain the narrative thread. Of course, this doesn't matter at all, as they continually break out into an eclectic range of songs, augmented by outrageously ridiculous props and hilarious throwaway gags. There's even a witty nod to the West End's recent Evita triumph as Belle ventures to an upstairs window to croon If I Could Turn Back Time to fans gathered in the street. The ghost of Laurence Fox makes a menacing appearance. And Asston poses as an AI bot to cause mischief at the Beast's big ball.

Marginally less chaotic than previous years, this show is able to mix the usual self-aware mayhem with slickly realised theatricality. It's perhaps even more well-honed this year than the performers seem to believe. Indeed, this cast is especially strong, properly skilled actor-singers who belt out the numbers with power while diving into the colourful costumes and goofy choreography with gusto. Penrose shines as always, and Ferry is adorable. The understudy even gets her big One Moment in Time, complete with a timeless spotlight gag. As required, everything ends in an unexpected wedding (or two) and a generous blast of Mariah to get us in the holiday spirit.

For details, RVT >

photos by Chris Jepson • 25.Nov.25

Stage: Spilling the beans

Tossed
The RVT Panto
by Tim Benzie, Paul Joseph
director Tim McArthur
musical director Vicki Calver 
with Ed Cooke, Leigh Pollard, Grace Kelly Miller, Ada Campe, Ben Hutt
Royal Vauxhall Tavern, London • 29.Nov.23-5.Jan.24 ★★★★

Taking their usual hilarious approach to the Christmas pantomime, Royal Vauxhall Tavern follows Rubbed, Slipped, Goosed, Pricked and Cracked with Tossed, a delightfully deranged sequel to Jack and the Beanstalk. While the structure is very familiar, the cast has been completely refreshed with a wonderfully up-for-it ensemble, and the jokes are right up to date with the messy reality of British politics. It's a perfect antidote to the usual holiday sweetness, although there's some of that too.

Narrated by the now-talking cow Daisy (Miller), the plot is fairly irrelevant, set after Jack (Cooke) has risen to social media fame as a giant killer, but he's wondering what he should do next. Meanwhile, his overambitious mother Spriggins (Hutt) is angling for him to marry into even more money, and the most likely candidate is Gina T (Pollard), a human-sized giant who is on a mission to avenge her fallen relative. And then there's Sorcererer (Campe), an endlessly mischievous magician who is happy to meddle.

Livening all of this up is a steady barrage of innuendo, rude jokes and knowingly hilarious references to things like reality TV, Britain's disastrous Tory government (including the ghost of Liz Truss) and the scandal-plagued royal family. Among the flurry of sharply performed songs that have been adapted to tell this story, there are new hits like Kylie's Padam Padam and Sam Ryder's Space Man, iconic tunes like Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), Love Shack and (I've Had) The Time of My Life, belters like Don't Stop Believin' and Mamma Mia, and the Barry Manilow/Take That classic Could It Be Magic (plus a bit of on-stage magic).

As always, the audience participation elements feel rather repetitive, including a witty and enjoyably frantic variation on 12 Days of Christmas and a climactic singalong. And each character's call-and-response gag kind of gets lost in the shuffle, as it should. But there are also riotously amusing running gags, such as Dame Spriggins pointlessly begging the audience to please not boo her. And the hilarious choreography and snappy wordplay livens up the bonkers plot, as does the chaotic slapstick and a late connection to the enduring queer scene in Vauxhall.

For information, ROYAL VAUXHALL TAVERN >

photos by Chris Jepson • 1.Dec.23 

Stage: Sharp as a tack

Cracked: Snow White ... With Extra Bite
by Tim Benzie and Paul Joseph
dir Tim McArthur
musical director Aaron Clingham
with Grant Cartwright, Charlie Wood, Stewart Briggs, Lucy Penrose, Josh Sing Sian
Royal Vauxhall Tavern, London • 24.Nov.22-6.Jan.23

For their seasonal panto, the team at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern have created yet another wonderfully naughty take on the children's theatre format, adapting the Snow White fairy tale into a witty adventure into modern obsessions with social media. Everything about this show feels sharp as a tack, from the snappy script to the engagingly silly performances.

In this version of the story, Snow White (Cartwright) is a self-absorbed princess who hasn't a clue what's going on around her. Even more preening, the Wicked Queen (Stewart Briggs) relies on affirmation from her Magic Mirror (Wood). But the truth-telling mirror has been lying to her, which results in a series of cracks until it only has one lie left. Enter dwarf Sleepy (Penrose), the tale's narrator, who is trying to make a new mirror for the Queen before she realises that she's not actually the fairest in the land. And there's also a huntsman (Sian) who works for the Queen but is secretly in love with Snow White.

Staged with colourful costumes on the RVT's tiny stage, the plot is deliberately chaotic, resulting in various nutty encounters that are merely excuses for riotously warped renditions of pop songs from Abba to Harry Styles, by way of several classic musical theatre numbers. Kate Bush even comes to the rescue at one point, just one of many smart cultural references. And amusingly lacerating political gags are peppered throughout the script, eliciting pointed cheers from the audience.

Some of the tropes of the panto tradition feel a bit over-extended, such as the big number that's sung in the round (which seems unnecessary after the more fleet-footed rendition of Godspell's similarly complex All for the Best) or the big audience-competition song. But it's performed with so much charm that we don't mind at all. This is a very clever show that addresses the audience like children while taking a gleefully adult approach to innuendo and more overt smuttiness. And what it has to say about the impact of social media makes us think in between the laughter.

For information, visit ROYAL VAUXHALL TAVERN >

photos by Chris Jepson • 13.Dec.22

Stage: Double-pricked for Christmas

Pricked: Sleeping Beauty Got Woke
by Tim Benzie, Paul Joseph
dir Tim McArthur
music Aaron Clingham
with Grant Cartwright, Joseph Pollard, Lucy Penrose, Chantelle St Clair, Charlie Wood
Royal Vauxhall Tavern • 25.Nov.21-6.Jan.22

Shut down by the pandemic lockdown just a few days into its run in 2020, the riotously silly Pricked returns to the Royal Vauxall Tavern stage with a few timely story tweaks, swapped-out musical numbers and two new cast members. While LAST YEAR'S PRODUCTION felt fresh and absurdly funny, this year's show has a ramshackle charm that holds the attention based more on the sheer energy of the cast than anything else. And for me it had a whiff of deja vu that made it feel even more topical.

The tale of Sleeping Beauty gives the story its structure, although director Tim McArthur crafts it into a wonderfully deranged pub show that's definitely not for kids. Each scene is a performance, almost like an audition, as the characters introduce themselves and chat to the audience before performing a song or two, drawing on a range of musical theatre numbers and pop tunes. Updates for this year include bracingly current references to politicians and popular culture, plus an inspired, deliberately corny Abba reunion sequence.

It's still the story of Princess Aurora (Cartwright), who has been cursed by Maleffluent (Polland) to fall into a deep sleep on her 18th birthday. But Fairy Merryweather (Penrose) and a passing Prince (St Clair) intervene, plotting to rescue Aurora from Maleffluent and her conflicted sidekick Raven (Wood). None of these characters seem to have a clue what's going on around them, played amusingly by a gender-scrambled cast that continually questions the things written for them to do in the script. This includes getting impatient with the dream sequences and flashbacks that distract them along the way to the glorious holiday-themed wedding finale.

With boundless energy and considerable vocal skill, each performer dives into the wackiness, dropping in barbed asides and a continual stream of throwaway gags alongside the expected smut and innuendo. This means that quite a bit of dialog gets muffled in the mayhem, but the atmosphere is so bawdy and enjoyable that it never matters. And with lighter pandemic restrictions this year, the audience can more properly get involved with call-and-response moments, including lots of cheering, booing and singing along with the cast.

photos by Chris Jepson • 26.Nov.21

Stage: Life is but a dream

Pricked: Sleeping Beauty Got Woke
by Tim Benzie and Paul Joseph
dir Tim McArthur
musical director Aaron Clingham
with Lucy Penrose, Robert McNeilly, Grant Cartwright, Fia Houston-Hamilton, Charlie Wood
Royal Vauxhall Tavern • 4.Dec.20-7.Jan.21

The RVT's adult-oriented panto is always one of the funniest shows of the year, and this year's team has outdone itself. There isn't a dull moment in this blissfully silly musical-comedy extravaganza, as it spirals in surreal directions that leave the audience trying to stifle laughter under social distancing rules. And the show even has a trick for that.

Being the story of Sleeping Beauty, the script plays heavily on the idea that much of 2020 feels like a bad dream. Fairy Merryweather (Penrose) is our guide through the mayhem, although even she's not terribly sure what's going on as the gloriously evil Maleffluent (McNeilly) has cursed Princess Aurora (Cartwright) to fall into a deep sleep if she pricks her finger before her 18th birthday. Maleffluent is assisted by a jittery Raven (Wood), who intercepts the thrusting Prince (Houston-Hamilton) as he seeks to rescue Aurora from her castle-tower prison.

Characters break into song at the drop of a hat, with witty twists on iconic pop tracks as well as musical theatre numbers from vintage shows like The Sound of Music, Annie and The Wiz. There are even two hilarious songs lifted from last summer's Eurovision Song Contest comedy, including Ya Ya Ding Dong, which elicits a riotous bell-ringing number. Show-stoppers include the Raven singing a duet of I'm Like a Bird with a fed-up Prince, plus magnificent nods to Cheryl Cole and Queen. Throw in a bit of tap dancing, lots of references to both Covid and Brexit, rude jokes about Amanda Holden and Lorena Bibbity Bobbity Boo. Flashbacks and dream sequences escalate the sense that this show is utterly out of control, and indeed it goes full-meta at one point.

The performances are excellent across the board, with Houston-Hamilton emerging as the star of the show due to her rambunctious attitude and gifted timing with both comedy and music. McNeilly is also terrific as the astoundingly busty villain of the piece. And Wood has a lot of fun shrieking around the stage as the nervous Raven. Unsurprisingly, the show's lead character is the least colourful, but Cartwright gives it some oomph. The salient question is whether a sleeping princess can give consent to be kissed.

Cleverly, the production team has come up with ways for the audience to be involved, pressing buttons to trigger the call and response elements and teaching us various insinuating hand motions to interact with the characters. The staging is clever and lively, and it's such a fast and hilarious show that it's impossible to catch all the references. It even wraps everything up in a Mariah-hued bow.

photos by Chris Jepson • 5.Dec.20

NB. This show was forced to shut down just a few days into its run by another Covid lockdown. It was revamped and restaged a year later: REVIEWED HERE.

Stage: A twisted Christmas delight

Slipped: Cinderella ... Rebooted!
by Paul Joseph and Tim Benzie 
dir Tim McArthur
with Faye Reeves, Grant Cartwright, Robert McNeilly, Jim Lavender, Rich Watkins
Royal Vauxhall Tavern, London • 28.Nov.19-8.Jan.20

This was my first panto at Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and I knew it would be a twist on the formula. Indeed, it's a riotously rude, gender-bending romp featuring the usual tropes, including how it's chirpily addressed to an audience of "boys and girls" while everything is very adult indeed. With a terrific script and nimble direction, plus an engagingly up-for-it cast of cross-dressers, this is a fabulous blast of holiday spirit.

The fairy tale is well and truly fractured. Cinderella (Cartwright) is off to the ball thanks to help from his Fairy Godmother (Reeves), who has some anger issues. But his wicked stepmother Lady Garden (McNeilly) and evil stepsister Pleasure (Lavender) are also in attendance, hoping to catch the eye of the eligible Prince Charming (Watkins). The problem is that the prince ha s a shoe fetish, so he's more interested in that exquisite glass slipper than whoever was wearing it.

Where this goes is flat-out ridiculous, encompassing a series of amusing musical numbers. Classics like Tomorrow and Especially for You (or rather, Shoe) mingle with more recent hits like Juice, Señorita and You Need to Calm Down. Plus a seriously unforgettable rendition of Shallow. The script is littered with pop culture references as well as nods to news headlines that feel so up-to-the-moment that the show will be shifting along with the UK's election campaign. It will definitely be worth revisiting.

And the performers are relentless scene-stealers, trying to win the audience over with individual call-and-response catch-phrases while directly appealing for sympathy at every turn. Each has great stage presence, mercilessly lampooning themselves. Watkins' smirking Prince is sometimes unnervingly slimy, while Reeves and Lavender have a suitably appalling chemistry as the conniving, hairy-dopey baddies. As the heroine, Cartwright is appropriately bland but blossoms as things go on. And the show is well and truly stolen by Reeves, who skilfully channels Megan Mullally on speed as the Fairy Godmother, nailing the show's best gags. She also pops up in various witty side roles, and gets a chance to torment the audience directly (glitter alert!).

Director Tim McArthur takes a freewheeling approach that knowingly riffs on amateurish townhall-style productions. But these are talented professionals who never miss a beat, improvising jokes along with the script's funniest gags while trying to crack each other up. It's charming, hilarious and very rude. There are perhaps too many poo jokes (if that's possible), and the whole thing seems to be reluctant to come to an end. So it leaves us in just the right kind of Christmas mood.

For more info: www.vauxhalltavern.com