515 posts
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Post by callum on Dec 15, 2018 0:12:39 GMT
Yep - I agree. I always remember Julie Walters being great as the fairy in the classic Jack and the Beanstalk ITV panto - Dawn could have waited until next year and still done all the same jokes about being too old/ugly and finding Jack attractive. Although Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders are punchlines this year, I think either of them would definitely have been a lot more nasty than Dawn - she still did well though!
I think the overall feeling is... it's still good, but they're pushing it now!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2018 0:36:29 GMT
Yep - I agree. I always remember Julie Walters being great as the fairy in the classic Jack and the Beanstalk ITV panto - Dawn could have waited until next year and still done all the same jokes about being too old/ugly and finding Jack attractive. Although Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders are punchlines this year, I think either of them would definitely have been a lot more nasty than Dawn - she still did well though! I think the overall feeling is... it's still good, but they're pushing it now! Dawn did very well, I LOVED her but it wasn’t the right role for her I dont think.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2018 5:51:12 GMT
This all sounds very disappointing and some of it in line with how I felt about cinderella (lack of plot etc) but at least it had great sets etc. This is the Palladium it should be the best in the country but Cinderella still stands as one of the weaker qdos productions I've see and this sounds even worse
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1,102 posts
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Post by zak97 on Dec 15, 2018 18:48:55 GMT
First of the Palladium pantos I’ve seen so can’t compare but I really enjoyed this. Sets very impressive, especially the effect in the second act which in my opinion puts the Miss Saigon helicopter and 42nd Street stairs to shame. Very impressed with the cast. I liked that Dawn French mocks her inability to play the bad person - it makes it more entertaining. Charlie Stemp - can’t complain, I just wish 42nd Street wasn’t closing so he could play Billy.
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1,102 posts
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Post by zak97 on Dec 16, 2018 15:25:46 GMT
Must commend the ushers in the stalls at the matinee yesterday. Very on the ball with people potentially distracting other, using phones amongst other disruptive behaviour.
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5,278 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Dec 16, 2018 18:47:51 GMT
Jeez last years panto was lazy enough but this just sounds as bad.
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Post by Charphaba on Dec 16, 2018 19:24:53 GMT
I really enjoyed my second visit to this. The second time I stood at the back of the stalls. It seems that they let you stand either side of the back and let you lean on the rail in front. For £20 I felt it was a good bargain as I was able to see all the cast facial expressions and everything that came down went down enough so that I could see it. Each act only an hour long and you can rest your legs on a seat in the bar for 20 minutes. If I can get another standing ticket then I will definitely see it again.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 21:45:02 GMT
Saw this on Friday and was entertained but felt the plot was very thin and was unlike any panto I’ve seen before.
Felt like a series of sketches with a very loose story to it.
Saying that cast and production quality was excellent.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2018 17:44:06 GMT
Two things for those who have seen it: 1. After Danielle and Sam's duet, does she accidentally switch Sam off and get yelled at? I'm guessing so, and I thought the language used was inappropriate.
2. Was it just me, or were the "planted" kids really overdone this time? Last year, one fooled me. This time, it was way too obvious, I thought. a) Yes b) YES they already knew the rhyme without even looking at it... and the last girl was super precocious. Well, she was on Saturday night.
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3,059 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 17, 2018 20:14:06 GMT
1. Yes. Can't remember the language, but there was enough bad language in the rest of the show it didn't really have an impact.
2. Kids 3 and 4 were obviously plants. Kids 1 and 2, less obvious. One of the giveaways (apart from the bad acting) is that there were practically no kids in the building and certainly none in the area where "dad" was meant to be sitting.
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1,427 posts
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Post by showtoones on Dec 17, 2018 20:19:13 GMT
Kid number 4 was called Connie when I saw it...I wonder if it's always her? (I remembered that because I thought of Connie Fisher). Speaking of...she hasn't been heard of in ages....
LOL
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2018 20:19:24 GMT
Two things for those who have seen it: 1. After Danielle and Sam's duet, does she accidentally switch Sam off and get yelled at? I'm guessing so, and I thought the language used was inappropriate.
2. Was it just me, or were the "planted" kids really overdone this time? Last year, one fooled me. This time, it was way too obvious, I thought. Yes and Yes!! The whole planted kids thing needs to go, it’s cringe.
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Post by Charphaba on Dec 17, 2018 20:36:32 GMT
What is planted? What does it mean?
Also how does Sam move on his own?
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3,059 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 17, 2018 20:49:20 GMT
What is planted? What does it mean? That the kids at the end aren't really from the audience, they're actors (or at least some of them are). As to the other question, robotics is quite advanced these days.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2018 19:33:47 GMT
Been thinking about this a lot since seeing it Friday night. I really hope they shake the cast up next year, there are plenty of seasoned pantomime performers in other parts of the UK that would do just as well in London. I mean surely Biggins and Paul Chuckle have been considered for the palladium panto. The whole Havers gag really wore thin. I mean this year they don't even give his character a name. Nigel is playing Nigel 🤣🤣
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241 posts
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Post by justafan on Dec 21, 2018 9:19:10 GMT
Kid number 4 was called Connie when I saw it...I wonder if it's always her? (I remembered that because I thought of Connie Fisher). Speaking of...she hasn't been heard of in ages.... LOL it was Connie last night as well
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Post by Charphaba on Dec 21, 2018 15:35:54 GMT
Kid number 4 was called Connie when I saw it...I wonder if it's always her? (I remembered that because I thought of Connie Fisher). Speaking of...she hasn't been heard of in ages.... LOL it was Connie last night as well The first time I saw it one of the girls was called Connie. Did she have blonde hair?
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1,427 posts
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Post by showtoones on Dec 21, 2018 16:38:23 GMT
it was Connie last night as well The first time I saw it one of the girls was called Connie. Did she have blonde hair? Yes she did. And Zerdin called her the wrong name and she yelled at him something like I'm called Connie! And the audience loved it. Sad to know this was all planned ;-)
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241 posts
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Post by justafan on Dec 21, 2018 20:37:32 GMT
it was Connie last night as well The first time I saw it one of the girls was called Connie. Did she have blonde hair? long hair ... I’d say light brown rather than blonde
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419 posts
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Post by carmella1 on Dec 21, 2018 23:27:12 GMT
That is because there really are not that many, if any, children there. They want to do the bit so they have to create it.
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3,059 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 22, 2018 0:14:42 GMT
The first time I saw it one of the girls was called Connie. Did she have blonde hair? long hair ... I’d say light brown rather than blonde I would have said Connie with dark brown hair... but I assume there are three teams of children like any other show.
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3,059 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 22, 2018 0:17:42 GMT
That is because there really are not that many, if any, children there. They want to do the bit so they have to create it. But the responses are incredibly scripted and designed to be funny. I’m not saying real children aren’t funny, but you wouldn’t be able to get the type of jokes they used. And just seeing four children get the tongue twister wrong wouldn’t be all that amusing.
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Post by happytobehere on Dec 23, 2018 11:19:59 GMT
Was at the 2:30 show yesterday to see my first panto since I was about 7. I mainly booked because standing seats were cheap (and I still had a great view), and because I wanted to see Dawn French & Charlie Stemp. I wasn’t disappointed, it was a really fun afternoon. It was exactly like I expected it to be- incredibly camp & I like that! And the special effects were fantastic, way better than I would’ve thought they’d be.
The only time I was bored was at the end when the ‘story’ had wrapped up & they started bringing kids on stage. It was clearly scripted and a bit dull for me.
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249 posts
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Post by gmoneyoutlaw on Dec 24, 2018 0:51:38 GMT
I'm going to the final performance. I got an orchestra seat. I've seen the other two and look forward to probably the last with this format.
I do love the lavish sets and costumes. Also like to see Julian and his ultra campiness.
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1,846 posts
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Post by NeilVHughes on Dec 24, 2018 8:24:13 GMT
A pleasant surprise, not been to a pantomime before and managed to pick up a cheap standing ticket as unsure whether I would enjoy it enough to risk paying full price.
From the off you get dragged in and the fun and general irreverence is contagious, some fillers as they changed the sets which hindered the flow, overall great fun.
There were some empty seats nearby and did sit for a while, in the end went back to standing as preferred the unhindered view, being a regular groundling has its advantages.
Likely to go again next year and most probably remain standing as for £20 it is a steal, from a Christmasaphobe no greater praise.
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1,871 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Dec 24, 2018 14:06:14 GMT
I never thought Dawn would shine as a baddie - it just doesn't play to her strength and is not a natural fit.
Murder Most Horrid was about the only time we saw a nasty streak, 20+ years ago.
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2,302 posts
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Post by Tibidabo on Dec 24, 2018 23:32:35 GMT
We saw this today and I'd managed to avoid this thread and all reviews, so I will be interested to see if I agree with the majority.
We've seen the two previous Palladium pantos and thought them both great fun. Last year's was fizzing and we came out with our faces aching from laughing so much.
This year, sadly, many performances were phoned in. Christmas Eve and it felt like one of those Boxing day performances when nobody, but nobody, wants to be there. The stand-out exceptions to this were the dwarves, the ensemble and Charlie Stemp who totally gave their all.
The script. Oh, the script. Just awful. Julian needs to close the gate on the back passage jokes. That was basically all he uttered. The scene with Dawn trying to get off with Charlie and her miming the first lines of various songs was totally amateur and cringeworthy. The timing was dreadful. In fact, Dawn was a disappointment (though I still liked her.) Not totally her fault, but there didn't seem to be a niche for her. Last year Elaine (of whom I am not a fan, so it takes some for me to say this) was absolutely hilarious in sending herself up. Dawn didn't fit into this category and the anticipated banter between her and Julian just wasn't there. The whole thing seemed to be lacking fizz and the drab audience reaction reflected this. They pretty much gave up trying to get the audience going after the first 5 minutes.
Don't get me wrong - it was enjoyable enough - but not a patch on last year (apart from the costumes which were stupendous.) We will go again, but hope it gets itself back on form.
Highlights - Vincent & Flavia's Argentine tango, Gary's song (though not a patch on the tube station one) and, um.....dunno.
And if you are the woman in row C of the royal circle who spent the entire first half laboriously texting Rachel in GIANT LETTERS, asking her to go and turn off your alarm, please make your way to the Bad Behaviour Thread where your starring moment will arrive presently. Little Xmas pressie from me in the meantime - if you turn on your predictive text you should be able to spell non-contactable without needing 4 attempts (and which you still got wrong... just saying.)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2018 0:49:41 GMT
The whole thing seemed to be lacking fizz and the drab audience reaction reflected this. They pretty much gave up trying to get the audience going after the first 5 minutes. This is a brilliant summary. The creatives definitely got lazy this year.
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134 posts
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Post by romeo94 on Dec 26, 2018 11:38:43 GMT
When do the £20 standing tickets go on sale? Is it once they've sold out? I feel like I've missed my chance
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306 posts
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Post by westended on Dec 26, 2018 19:02:51 GMT
Any page mentioning “Panto Will Return” this year?
We already know it will, but just wondering since they did this last year.
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