Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Sunday 24th December 2023
Writer-director-genius Iain Lauchlan is back at the Belgrade once again to deliver yet another hit pantomime. Lauchlan is a safe pair of hands; he knows what he’s doing yet, curiously, this one begins with two opening numbers: a duet between the Fairy Godmother and the eponymous heroine. Then Cinders sings another song with her friends in the ensemble, and they’re big, serious musical theatre numbers, so it’s quite a while before we get to the comedy. With a running time of over 90 minutes, the first act could do with a little trim. One of these songs could go, for instance.
Also back is Coventry favourite, Craig Hollingsworth as Buttons. Hollingsworth is at the top of his game, befriending the audience, mocking us affectionately, but this year he is less of the complainer. Perhaps because there is more than one side to Buttons. There is pathos written in with his unrequited love for Cinderella.
There is nothing like a dame, except perhaps another dame. This production gives us two. Lauchlan (of course) is paired with Andy Hockley as the Ugly Sisters, and they form an excellent double act. We enjoy their ludicrous company, with the exception of the one scene in which they remind us they are the baddies, forcing Cinders to tear up her invitation to the Prince’s ball. As well as two dames, we also get two principal boys: the Prince (Letitia Hector) and manservant Dandini (Loren Sunni). Pantomime has always been gender fluid; it’s been embedded in our culture for centuries. Take that, haters! Where else but panto are you going to be treated to two men dressed as women dressed as giant bags of crisps singing ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’?
Also strong is Emma Mulkern as the Fairy Godmother, who appears in a range of disguises. Mulkern also doubles as the Wicked Stepmother and if it didn’t tell me that in the programme, I wouldn’t have known!
And as for Cinderella herself, Holly Topping (a festive name!) is sweet and appealing. When you hear her sing, you understand the inclusion of the opening songs, and her duets with Letitia Hector’s Prince are definite highlights.
A Lauchlan pantomime always gives us traditional scenes. There’s the ‘He’s Behind You’ bit, but this time there’s a twist. There’s a slosh scene involving body hair. There’s a tongue-twister routine that is just as hilarious when they get it right as when they get it wrong. There is, naturally, audience participation. Two men are recruited as boyfriends for the sisters, and have to come up on stage to sit on Love Island thrones at intervals throughout the show. A woman is selected to pop up and care for a hideous plant whenever it droops downstage. It shouldn’t be as funny as it is, but it is. Lauchlan also makes good use of his ensemble, giving them lines in songs and in the dialogue, so they are much more than background dancers. The production gets its money’s worth out of them!
There is plenty of glitter and an awesome moment of spectacle when the Fairy Godmother’s magic makes Cinderella and her pumpkin ball-worthy. All in all, it’s a hugely satisfying, highly entertaining show, even though the bladder-stretching first half is pushing its luck.
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
On their metal: Ugly sisters, Flatula (Iain Lauchlan) and Aroma (Andy Hockley)
The first pantomime of the season and it’s a favourite fixture of mine, the Belgrade’s annual extravaganza featuring the perennial pairing of Iain Lauchlan and Craig Hollingsworth. Returning for the umpteenth year, writer/director and dame extraordinaire, Lauchlan delivers the goods once again with a blend of traditional and innovative elements. He is also generous enough not to hog all the best/worst jokes to himself.
Appearing as Dame Trott in a range of garish and hilarious outfits, Lauchlan embodies the panto spirit, with good-natured fun and broad comedy. Forming a perfect foil is Craig Hollingsworth’s Simple Simon, a somewhat manic man-child. Hollingsworth delivers a masterclass in how to handle and involve the audience, and it’s an absolute joy to see these two working together again.
Morna Macpherson is a thigh-slappingly heroic Jack. It strikes me that pantomime, with its dames and principal boys, has been years ahead in terms of using pronouns according to how people present themselves to the world. The kids in the audience take the characters at face value, which is how it should be. Macpherson’s macho posturing is in keeping with the genre, rather than being a parody. Rochelle Hollis plays the object of Jack’s affection, the Princess Poppy, doing a good job with a thankless part.
Emma Mulkern’s Fairy Fennel is good value, while Andy Hockley’s Fleshcreep is delightfully wicked, in a Dickensian manner. Hockley is clearly having a lot of fun, donning a range of disguises that we see through right away. David Gilbrook’s attention-deficient King adds to the fairy tale setting.
There is much of what we expect: a slapstick scene involving lemon meringues and oversized syringes, a bit of music hall patter, and plenty of audience participation. Always one to include new ideas with the old, Lauchlan’s beanstalk is the most innovatively staged I’ve ever seen. The giant also impresses and is worth waiting for, but it’s Daisy the Cow who upstages everyone (played by dancers Lewis James and Hudson Tong). I also love the troupe of cockroaches that infests the giant’s castle; they have some nifty choreography courtesy of Jenny Phillips.
The laughs keep coming and the plot chugs on despite all the shenanigans. The first half does run rather long, proving a strain on young bladders, and having to sing a verse about a chip shop every time Simple Simon walks on gets a bit wearing very soon. But these shortcomings don’t amount to a hill of beans.
Bright and colourful with almost everything covered in glitter, this is a hugely enjoyable, highly silly production with enough to keep everyone entertained.
Colour me cheered up, good and proper.
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Don’t have a cow! Craig Hollingsworth, Daisy, and Iain Lauchlan (Photo: Nicola Young)
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Friday 26th November 2021
Forget the Coca-Cola trucks! You know when Christmas is definitely coming when the Belgrade opens its pantomime.
Back again for the umpteenth year are writer-director-dame Iain Lauchlan and his partner in crime, Craig Hollingsworth. Separately and as a double act, these two embody the spirit of panto in Coventry, and it’s an absolute treat to see them back live on stage.
Appearing as Dame Dolly Mixture, Lauchlan is tirelessly funny, sporting a range of outfits based on sweets and chocolates, each one a delightful confection. Lauchlan’s dame always has a twinkle in her eye and something saucy to say. Paired with Hollingsworth’s Silly Billy, this is a dream team, bringing all the well-worn, well-loved and well funny panto elements to the stage, including a mandatory slosh scene involving mops, and the traditional word play, audience engagement…Lauclan’s script fizzles with jokes old and new. Clearly, Hollingsworth is in his element, getting annoyed with the audience and complaining about being made to look silly. A fast-paced song about alternative career paths for the cast is an hilarious highlight.
Another joy to watch is Peter Watts as bombastic narcissist Maurice, in a larger-than-life performance that comes close to stealing the show. He is teamed with sidekick Grub, played by the excellent Miriam Grace Edwards—it’s great to see her return to the Belgrade stage.
Katy Anna Southgate’s Enchantress is a striking figure in a beautiful purple gown; it’s a pity we don’t get to hear her sing until the finale.
The panto fun is interspersed with the darker plot line of the fairy tale. It begins with a Prince (Samuel Lake) being beastly to a peasant (Louie Wood). As punishment for his lack of compassion, the Enchantress turns the Prince into a hideous beast for five hundred years. The Beast is played with gusto by Sion Lloyd, whose scary speaking voice is offset by his beautiful, powerful singing. Ruby Eva’s Beauty is as pretty and sweet as you’d expect, while David Gilbrook as her bewildered father Harold dodders around endearingly. But, let’s face it, you don’t go to the panto for the plot! The tonal gear change between anarchic silliness and emotional drama is sometimes too sharp. It’s almost as though we’re switching between two different shows.
Somehow, Lauchlan manages to marry all the elements to bring the story to its happy ending, complete with a rousing rendition of S Club 7’s Reach For The Stars, which you’ll be singing all the way home.
On the whole, it’s a joyous experience and production values are high, courtesy of the Belgrade’s in-house workshop, from the glow-in-the-dark dancing skeletons to the lavish costumes and fairytale scenery.
A feast of festive family fun.
☆☆☆☆
Caning it: Iain Lauchlan and Craig Hollingsworth (Photo: Nicola Young)
The annual treat of the Belgrade pantomime is not cancelled, thank goodness, but is available to stream from the theatre’s website into the comfort (or otherwise) of your own home. Panto without audience participation might seem like the odds are stacked against it, but such is the effectiveness of this specially filmed production, you barely miss the auditorium.
The mighty Iain Lauchlan has been the engine, the heart and the soul of the Belgrade’s panto for over a quarter of a century now, and the film begins with him strolling onto a bare stage and gazing out at the empty stalls. Voices and laughter from previous productions can be heard. It’s quite a downbeat start, reflecting the sadness the entire industry must be feeling this year, but the mood instantly picks up when he sits on the edge of the stage alongside his longtime comedy partner, Craig Hollingsworth, who has an idea of how the pantomime can still go ahead this year: stream it online. At once, you can see the chemistry between these two; their partnership is the biggest draw for me to keep going to Coventry every year. Their effortless banter and crosstalk is second-to-none.
And so the panto proper begins, with Lauchlan as the Fairy narrator, able to use her wand for digital effects you can’t get in the theatre. The set and costumes are very much what you’d expect to find on stage but crucially the performance style has been altered to suit the screen. The acting is still non-naturalistic, but its heightened just enough to maximise the comedy without going over the top. Addressing the audience is replaced by direct-to-camera and this works brilliantly for Dame Trott’s monologues (Iain Lauchlan is the consummate dame) and also for quick asides and punchlines. Craig Hollingsworth, usually called upon to be a master of crowd control, here demonstrates another impressive set of skills, those of acting for and to the lens. I did not think these two could get any higher in my estimation, but they’ve done exactly that.
With Lauchlan and Hollingsworth playing most of the parts (due to the necessity of having limited numbers permitted in rehearsals) this is a real showcase for their talents. They are joined by perky principal boy, Morna Macpherson as Jack Trott, with Arina Li as the feisty Princess. Trish Adudu is somewhat underused as the Giant’s wife, appearing in a Zoom call with Hollingsworth’s Fleshcreep (who reminds me of Dave Hill from Slade!) The troupe of young dancers is led by the dashing Ayden Morgan, adding to the vibrancy of this colourful and inventive production.
Lauchlan’s script is bang up-to-date, riddled with topical references, as befits any panto worth its salt. He has always been an innovative panto creator and this year, more than ever, his ability to marry traditional tropes with technical advancements is crucial. Everything is so well thought out. Even Daisy the cow’s costume has been amended to include social distancing for her front and back legs! There is plenty of slapstick and silliness, along with saucier jokes for the adults, and it’s all splendidly directed (by Paul Gibson) to suit the medium.
This is by no means a question of performing a panto and standing a camera in front of it. This is a true marriage of form and content, of timeless tradition and contemporary communications.
It’s available to stream for the whole month of December from belgrade.co.uk so people far beyond the bounds of Coventry can get to see it, and it’s excellent value and an absolute scream. Oh yes it is.
*****
Iain Lauchlan and Craig Hollingsworth face off with a bake-off (Photo: Chloe Ely)
This is the first pantomime of the season for me and it’s a cracker. Belgrade stalwarts Iain Lauchlan and Craig Hollingsworth return for the umpteenth year on the trot for the rarely staged story of a crafty cat who helps his master to social climb his way to the palace, defeating a terrible ogre along the way. The pair work superbly as a double act, with Lauchlan as the dame, Matilda Pudding, and Hollingsworth as her son, Simon. They are also superb on their own, with Hollingsworth in particular working the audience. His persona is cheeky and easily annoyed; the comic timing is impeccable. Lauchlan gives a masterclass in panto-damery, with a succession of ridiculous outfits, charming humour and an irrepressible sense of fun. Lauchlan also writes and directs, and is clearly some kind of genius.
The Puddings: Matilda (Iain Lauchlan) and Simon (Craig Hollingsworth) Photo: Robert Day
The rest of the cast, for the most part, rise to the standard of the star pair, given the stock limitations of their roles. Aimee Bevan warms into her duties as our narrator Fairy Flutterby; David Gilbrook is suitably doddery as good King Colin; and Miriam Grace Edwards makes a gutsy Princess Sophia. As the villain, evil jester Victor Grabitt, Peter Watts is enormous fun, sinister, snide and camp in the melodramatic sense, he is a joy to watch.
The chorus is fleshed out with a troupe of local children, who tackle Jenny Phillips’s choreography with panache. Among the grown-up dancers, Dylan Jones distinguishes himself with some spectacular urban moves, as well as an engaging sense of humour. Daniel Teague appears as the Ogre, in a delightfully scary moment – this show has plenty to engage the children and get them shouting and pointing at the stage.
In the title role, Joanna Thorne is dashingly heroic with a lively touch of comedy. The role is a blend of principal boy and a skin part, but it also lets girls in the audience that females can be proactive. Thorne has a strong singing voice – it’s a shame we don’t get to hear more of it.
Lauchlan’s script successfully combines traditional routines with bang up-to-date new elements: we are invited to submit ogre-faced selfies to an Instagram account during the interval; Simon Pudding first appears via face-time… Lauchlan thereby upholds the audience expectations of the form, while keeping the form fresh and current, and of course there is plenty of saucy humour to keep the adults laughing.
Non-stop fun from start to finish, this is a refreshing change from the ‘big’ pantos that always do the rounds (the Aladdins, the Cinderellas, the Dicks) and a fantastic way to get into the festive spirit. As ever, it’s great to see such a diverse audience at the Belgrade, demonstrating that pantomime truly is for everyone and that theatre can bring us together.
Joanna Thorne as Puss in Boots and Peter Watts as Grabitt (Photo: Robert Day)
No matter how beautiful you are, there’s no danger of dozing off during this year’s festive offering at the Belgrade. As usual, it’s written and directed by the mighty Iain Lauchlan, who also appears as amiable dame, Nanny Fanny McWheeze, this is a cavalcade of fun, showing off Lauchlan’s mastery of the form, his skills as a performer, and crucially, his innovations. For example, the traditional slosh scene (icing a cake) is set-up brilliantly, involving an Alexa-type device (a Scottish version named Morag!) who reels off the instructions of how to play the sport curling, which the cast mistake for cake-decorating tips. Add to the mix, a hapless member of the audience who is game for a laugh, and this extended slapstick scene builds superbly. Genius!
Also returning is Lauchlan’s regular stage partner, the hilarious Craig Hollingsworth. This year he’s Muddles the Jester, and he’s as irritable as Nanny Fanny is amiable. Hollingsworth’s short temper and long-suffering stance are the perfect foil for Lauchlan’s kindnesses, and also for the more saccharine elements of the story. If this partnership ever splits, the Belgrade will probably crumble.
In the title role, Melissa Brown-Taylor is a plucky Princess Belle, while Joanna Thorne’s Prince Valiant is leggy and heroic as a principal boy should be; (it seems contemporary theatre is catching up with the gender-swapping that has been a staple of pantomime all along!). Declan Wilson is a cuddly King Hugo, with Vicky Field making an impression as his ill-tempered, ill-fated Queen. Field soon reappears as Grunge, sidekick to the evil fairy in an enjoyable portrayal. Anna Mitcham’s good fairy Azurial is, in her own words, ‘perky’, assisted by a troupe of youngsters as her fairy assistants. But it is Laura Judge’s villainous Carabosse who almost steals the show. Bitterly melodramatic, Judge’s high-camp performance is a treat.
There is spectacle, of course: watch out for a dragon (it’d be hard to miss!) and a lively ensemble in beautiful story-book costumes by Terry Parsons. Jenny Phillips’s choreography gets its big moment in the Act Two opener. The original songs (by Lauchlan, Liz Kitchen and Steve Etherington) aren’t bad, each one serving its purpose and played by a tight combo under the able baton of Dan Griffin. There are well-worn routines given a new spin, and up-to-date topical references.
The overall feel is trad meets new, and like the Prince and Princess, it’s a perfect match.
Something’s come between us! Iain Lauchlan and Craig Hollingsworth perform a spot of high culture (Photo: Robert Day)
Writer, director and jovial genius Iain Lauchlan is back at the Belgrade for another triumphant year with a winning pantomime that blends traditional with new elements.
Oddly, it gets off to something of an underwhelming start, with Fairy Godmother (Maggie Robson) springing on and giving us some sub-Disney waffle about dreams. What, no rhyming couplets? She introduces us to our heroine straight away – a winsome Alice Rose Fletcher, looking every inch the part and with a sweet singing voice. This is a Cinderella we can take to right away, but her song is somewhat wistful and reflective, and not really an opening number. Energy levels crank up when the chorus of villagers pour on – and we’re off at last!
The ugly sisters, Dyspepsia (Lauchlan in his element, it appears) and Listeria ( an equally excellent Greg Powrie) are a superb double act. Ostensibly the villains, they are too enjoyable to be bad. The crux of villainy in this version is found in Cinderella’s stepmother (Maggie Robson, doubling, and having more to get her teeth into), a delightful snarling diva.
Adding to the fun – shovelling it on – is Craig Hollingsworth as Buttons. A natural crowd-pleaser, Hollingsworth is a cheeky chappie, a quick wit with impeccable timing. His scenes with the sisters are the comic highlights of the show. An extended slosh scene involving waxing strips and fake tanning equipment is relentlessly funny in an old-school way. Slapstick still works.
An iconic scene we don’t get is Buttons trying to cheer up Cinderella when she can’t go to the ball. Cut because of running times, I suspect, but Hollingsworth gives us hints of the pathos that is an essential part of the Buttons character.
In this performance, a charming Vicky Field plays Prince Charming – Lauchlan gives us two principal boys to balance the two dames – and Letitia Hector gives us an elegant and full-throated Dandini. In panto, no one bats an eyelid about cross-dressing and gender and blind casting. Everyone is accepted. Any joshing is good-natured.
From the chorus there is strong support from Lashane Williams and Vicki Stevenson in several featured moments, but undoubtedly this is the Ugly Sisters & Buttons show, and we don’t mind that at all.
There are moments of wonder – the transformation scene is straightforward in its execution but still works its magic on the children – plenty of audience participation, with some individuals being ‘volunteered’ to prove themselves good sports – and the time-honoured story still comes through. There is something about Cinderella that strikes a chord with everyone: the worthy underdog whisked away from servitude; but it’s more than a lottery win. Cinderella’s generosity of spirit is what sees her through.
One final point: I look around the stalls and from what I can see, the people of Coventry have turned out from all corners. It’s quite simply the most diverse audience I’ve seen at a pantomime. And everyone’s enjoying this peculiarly British tradition and having a great night at the theatre, and I think this is the kind of Britain I want to live in. Inclusive, good-natured and friendly. Well done, the Belgrade!
Greg Powrie, Iain Lauchlan and Craig Hollingsworth messing about (Photo: Robert Day)
My first Christmas show of the season and it’s a cracker! The Belgrade may not hire the ‘big’ names on the panto circuit but this is more than compensated for by a traditional show performed by consummate professionals who actually have the necessary skills.
I am pleased to see a revival of the tradition of the principal boy. Tricia Adele-Turner is a good-natured, honest and upright Dick. Pantomime, it turns out, was ahead of the game when it comes to gender-blind casting. Dick’s faithful companion, Tommy the Cat, is the acrobatic and flexible Becky Stone, who manages to inject her singe-word vocabulary with a wide range of expression! Kelly Agredo is a charming love interest as Alice Fitzwarren, while Declan Wilson offers sterling support as her father Alderman Fitzwarren. Wilson also appears as the Sultan of Morocco, here more of a Ben Gunn figure in an amusing cameo. Anna Mitcham is a spirited Fairy Bow Bells, spouting Cockney rhyming slang like a U certificate Danny Dyer.
The driving energy of the show comes from writer/director Iain Lauchlan who also appears as the dame, Sarah the Cook. Teamed up with Craig Hollingsworth’s Idle Jack, the pair are a force to be reckoned with, handling the audience with apparent ease. One man is brought onto the stage several times for ritual humiliation – and the rest of us sit back in relief to enjoy his discomfort, except it’s all so good-natured and kind, it is nothing but fun. This is a panto with a big, generous heart – Lauchlan’s heart, it must be. He is canny enough to include the traditional elements we expect to see but, as the use of the audience member illustrates, is able to make those traditions fresh.
Whether onstage together or alone, Lauchlan and Hollingsworth exude joy and benevolence. In total contrast is Melone M’Kenzy as the formidable and imposing Queen Rat. For me this is the star performance of the show, a villain who is actually villainous. She is a sassy supermodel, dressed for Halloween and has a rich singing voice that is to die for. Queen Rat’s henchmen Scratch and Sniff (Matthew Brock and Eden Dominique) are also great value – Lauchlan wisely gives them plenty to do.
The songs are original – I usually prefer pantos to have well-known pop hits and standards – but in this instance, Liz Kitchen’s compositions are great, especially those performed by M’Kenzy.
Mark Walters’s costumes are a visual treat – naturally (if that’s the right word) Sarah the Cook’s outfits are the eyepopping best. Production values in general are of a high quality and, given the nature of the script and its handling by one of pantomime’s most skilled proponents, pantomime in Coventry is in very safe hands indeed.
Rat pack: Matthew Brock, Melone M’Kenzy and Eden Dominique (Photo: Robert Day)
The Belgrade’s pantomime this year is that curious mix of Arabian Nights and a China that never was, the rags to riches story of Aladdin.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a principal boy take the title role – of late it has been the preserve of male soap stars and pop singers, so it is refreshing to see the traditional cross-dressing reinstated. Here, Morna Macpherson is a spirited lead and a likeable hero. As Aladdin’s brother, the lovable buffoon Wishee Washee, Craig Hollingsworth provides the bulk of the comic energy, teaming up with his mother, the flamboyant Widow Twankey – a text book panto dame performance from writer/director Iain Lauchlan.
From the moment the curtain goes up, the stage is a riot of colour, thanks to Cleo Pettitt’s bright costumes with their storybook-Oriental touches. One quibble I have with the opening, is I’d like the audience participation to kick in earlier. We need to be addressed and invited in. Characters need to tell us what’s going on, rather than talking to each other. But as soon as Wishee Washee comes on, we are well up for it.
Walking on Sunshine is the opening number and Happy is the finale; these two well-known and sing-alongable songs sandwich some unremarkable numbers which, though sung very well, don’t linger in the memory. As I say, it’s all sung very well – you can’t fault any aspect of the performances but the choice of songs lets it down somewhat.
Overlooking that, this is a traditional, old-school pantomime and oodles of fun for people of all ages.
Arina Li is a beautiful Princess Jasmine (since the Disney cartoon, we shall never again see a Princess Beldroubadour!) with effective support from Joanne Sandi as So-Shi and also the Spirit of the Ring – bringing comedy to the former and an exotic grace to the latter. Marcquelle Ward is a hunk of a Genie of the Lamp and Aaron Gibson makes a strong impression as a nimble and expressive palace guard.
Relishing his role as Abanazar, Sion Lloyd is delightfully wicked in that way that only panto villains have. He’s so good at it, you almost want his evil schemes to succeed.
When it comes to William Finkenrath’s Chinese Emperor, complete with comedy accent, I don’t know whether to laugh or be uncomfortable. In the end, I do both. It’s a sustained comic performance and undeniably funny but the hackles of my political correctness tell me I shouldn’t be laughing. But, if we go down that route, we’d no longer have names like Wishee Washee, and the whole thing would unravel. Finkenrath wins me over by the force of his wit.
With spectacle, slapstick and silliness, the Belgrade’s Aladdin proves you don’t need a host of Big (and Not-so-big) Names to make as enjoyable a pantomime as you could wish for.
Arina Li and William Finkelrath (Photo: Robert Day)
Bum on a Seat 