Pantomime Review: Peter Pan, Epstein Theatre, Liverpool

Image Source: Epstein Theatre

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Pantomime
Genre: Comedy
Date: December 11 2017
Location: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool

The Epstein panto is as much an annual Christmas tradition as mince pies, work parties and the visit of the Coca-Cola truck which the usual doom-and-gloomers have been inexplicably trying to block. The formula is slightly switched up this year in a few ways, which combined with the usual big laughs and occasionally mature levels of humour (which the younger kids thankfully don't cotton onto), ensures that Peter Pan is another great festive offering.

Yes, Peter Pan; not traditionally a story which is brought to life in pantomime form, but one which perfectly adapts to the setting when performed by this experienced and talented crew. Here, Lewis Pryor takes up the title role, and quickly catches the eye of Wendy (Joanne Harper) as they travel to Neverland with a little help from Tinkerbell (Claire Simmo).

However, there are dangers ahead, not least Captain Hook (Dane Bowers), who wants to have Peter Pan killed for his own personal rewards, and is willing to go to another level (sorry) to do it. He has assistance from the daft Smee (Chris Barton) and the even dafter Dame Betty (Michael Chapman), but resistance from Tiger Lily (Georgia Austin) and the magic of Neverland ensures that the battle goes down to the wire, with Peter Pan not only needing to survive the dastardly Hook, but also slowly becoming attracted to Wendy. Will there be true love, and will Hook's evil plot be taken down?

Everyone performs to a high standard, as is the norm for the Epstein pantos. Several children were drafted into the cast as The Lost Children, and several kids had some hilarious lines, with one or two having that talent of making people laugh through simple facial expressions and mannerisms. As is often the case, there were plenty of jokes about local people and situations (the idea of a "drawn-out and depressing" situation for Peter Pan was initially assumed by Smee to be describing an Everton game), and the settings were very well-crafted in an attempt to create the most authentic Neverland backdrops possible. Top it off with some cool visual effects (such as characters flying and pyrotechnics), plenty of dance routines (though some of the dancers appeared to wish that they were somewhere else), colourful costumes, and some clever in-jokes (at one point there appeared to be production issues, only for it to be the set-up for one of the show's funnier planned scenes), and you have a really enjoyable panto experience for all the family.

Not for the first time, though, it's Michael Chapman as Dame Betty who steals the show with loads of great one-liners. The tone was set very early on with some near-the-knuckle jokes relating to certain well-known faces on television, and they continued throughout the show. At times, "risqué" would have been a generous way to describe such lines as her true name being "Betty Swallocks" and her somewhat intimate suggestion for Hook to pop around her house. Many of the attendees were in uproar laughing at Betty's remarks, and there's no doubt that her character is the one that people will most remember when seeing the show. The audience themselves contributed at times (one youngster hilariously shouted "Lewis!" to Peter Pan when he was in danger), though some attendees unfortunately tried to take over the entire show at one point, which is never a good thing. Otherwise, though, this was a lot of fun.

I would heartily recommend that you bring the family along to see Peter Pan at the Epstein over Christmas. You'll have a great time, and everyone will be feeling truly Christmassy when all is said and done. Just be prepared for some potentially awkward questions from the little 'uns afterwards!

Overall Rating: 9/10 - Outstanding

Pantomime Review: Sleeping Beauty

Image Source: Epstein Theatre

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Pantomime
Genre: Comedy
Date: April 12 2017
Location: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool, England

The Easter pantomime tradition returns once again to the Epstein Theatre with Sleeping Beauty.

Those who know the common story of Sleeping Beauty and, in particular, those who have previously seen Epstein pantos will know what to expect. We are introduced to Silly Billy (Kyle Corrin) and Dame Nurse Nellie (Michael Chapman), who are looking after the recently-born Princess Aurora. However, the evil fairy Carabosse (Tina Malone) casts a wicked curse on Aurora, which comes to fruition on the eve of her 18th birthday, by which point Aurora (Lucy Edge) has caught the eye of the handsome Prince (911 singer Lee Brennan). Cue various humorous situations as all involved look to overcome the witch's curse.

Panto shows at the Epstein tend to follow a familiar routine whereby the story is told amidst some amusing songs and variations of popular tunes (like Bodyshakin', the most famous 911 tune), as well as general daftness by the likes of Silly Billy, and some risqué double entendres by Michael Chapman's Dame Nurse Nellie character. The same formula applied here, with the biggest laughs coming from the extended musical number which saw the more mischievious characters set water guns on the audience (and as I was sat near the front of the theatre, I was one of those who got a bit soaked!), and the increasingly-naughty one-liners from Nurse Nellie.

Elsewhere, I thought that Lucy did a good job as the Princess in distress, particularly during musical scenes where she was able to demonstrate their vocal skills. Obviously, the same applies to Lee Brennan, who had just come from the local hospital hours beforehand with a broken finger to continue performing. But I thought that Tina Malone was the star of the show, bringing plenty of acting experience to not only deliver a perfect characterisation of an evil witch, but to bring about some one-liners and humorous facials when the situation called for it. There was also amusement to be had from the occasional script mishaps and unexpected trips at various points.

I thought that the settings were really good, bringing you right into environments such as the Princess' castle and the dark woods, and the costumes were as good as ever, as it's clear that a lot of work goes into the attires of the various characters. On the downside, the audio was a bit of an issue, especially during some of the musical numbers as it became incredibly hard at times to hear what was being said or sung.

Summing this up, I felt that Aladdin, the most recent Christmas panto at the Epstein, was a stronger show overall, but if Easter fun and frolics for all the family are what you're looking for, then you'll have a great time watching Sleeping Beauty at the Epstein Theatre.

Overall Rating: 8/10 - Very Good

Aladdin

Image Source: Epstein Theatre

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Pantomime
Genre: Comedy
Date: December 12 2016
Location: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool, England

The world has changed a lot in 2016, what with Brexit, Donald Trump becoming US President and the imminent demise of Deal Or No Deal (hey, I love the show). However, some things will always remain the same, and fortunately one of them is the annual tradition for Christmas pantomime. Amongst the top shows on offer this winter season is Aladdin, at the Epstein Theatre.

The latest panto production at the Epstein may just be its strongest festive offering yet, as the simple story is told with the addition of interesting characters, extended dance and song routines, and a huge amount of comedy. It is that humour, and the amount of genuinely funny lines and ad-libbed situations, which made this such a treat to watch.

Aladdin tells the tale of the character with the same name (of course), played by Sean Smith, as he looks to find true love in the form of a Princess, and there just happens to be one, Princess Jasmine (Natasha Hamilton) whose arranged marriage with an unknown groom is in the process of being arranged by her mother. The two eventually meet up, fall in love, and it's clear that wedding bells will soon be ringing.

But wait! The evil Abanazar (Tom Burroughs) is after the hand of the Princess herself, mostly for her riches, and it's the magic power of a mysterious lamp which holds the key for him to potentially achieve his goal. Cue all sorts of hilarious interludes, and the frequent appearances of several supporting characters such as Widow Twankey (Michael Chapman), Wishy Washy (Lewis Pryor), the Slave of the Ring (Mark Byron) and, since this is Aladdin, the Genie (Jordan Davies).

After many variations of a similar story regardless of what the show is, the LHK Productions team seem to have realised how to make the most of its positives and how to hide its negatives, because the humour in this show is the funniest yet in an Epstein production. Widow Twankey, played by writer Michael Chapman, is her usual over-the-top and innuendo-driven self, and it's hilarious to see Twankey run down the Genie/Jordan for his perceived lack of acting skills, noting how his celebrity status is the sole reason for him to be involved. But the unsung hero is Mark Byron, another name whose fame originated from reality television; by emphasising his accent and talking like someone off the street rather than the typical dialect that his Slave of the Ring character would normally use, many of his lines got the audience laughing, and in some cases it was just from the way he was talking rather than what he was saying.

Perhaps the highlights of the show were the moments of unexpected humour: an extended version of Twelve Days Of Christmas deliberately became a car crash on stage waiting to happen, but perhaps more than even the characters intended as the song was virtually stopped at one point due to more than one of the actors actually falling behind the curtain due to the break-neck speed of the number. It was clear that they were enjoying themselves just as much as the audience were. And the penultimate (and traditional) portion of the evening where Twankey (who humorously had an adapted version of "Frankie (do you remember me?)" to accompany her on stage) invited several young children to try and sing Old McDonald ended up being a truly memorable situation, as one kid decided not to sing, another belted out his lines incredibly loud, and all had their own mannerisms and behaviours contribute to a pretty funny sing-a-long session. Even Twankey couldn't hide the laughter during some of these performances.

Although the humour was a heavy aspect of the show, and a strong one at that, the music was good too. The stand-out musical performance came from Aladdin and the Princess joining to sing Whole Again; of course, with the Princess being Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton, this felt more like a mini-concert than a panto rendition, and therefore was probably the strongest musical moment ever for an Epstein panto. The settings were also well-constructed to depict the likes of a haunted cave and Twankey's Launderette, and the costumes were well-crafted, if slightly less outlandish (at least for Twankey) than in previous productions. The special effects were very good, especially for a scene involving Aladdin on a magic flying carpet. There was also a nice acknowledgement at the end for Herbert Howe, a longtime panto contributor who passed away earlier this year, as well as a touching moment to invite everyone involved to contribute towards the Save Our Katie appeal.

Some minor negatives were the slightly amateurish transitions between scenes, which meant that the curtains separating the different backgrounds were a bit messy at one point (as in, you could almost see members of the crew walking behind the set during scenes), and the dark lighting was a little too dark when you consider the younger members of the audience. Also, though no fault of the production team, certain attendees seemed to be having too much of a good time, in a sense that some adults were acting far more childish than the kids at various points. However, none of these could even come close to spoiling a really entertaining night of panto.

Aladdin is the Epstein's best pantomime show to date, and one I would give the highest recommendation to for all members of the family.

Overall Rating: 9/10 - Outstanding