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Post by theatremadness on Apr 7, 2016 13:27:15 GMT
I know, seems a bit early!! But there's been little bits of discussion on the board about a Panto coming to London (specifically the Palladium) this year. Whilst there are no confirmed reports, this tweet from choreographer Andrew Wright earlier today suggests that the wheels are in motion!
"Stunning London venue" could mean a number of things, I guess - hence why the thread title is just 'London Panto 2016' and nothing more specific - but a reply from Matt Hemley from The Stage "wonder where it could be?!" also suggests with tongue-in-cheek manner that it's probably a big one (oooh matron).
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Post by zsazsa on Apr 7, 2016 17:32:02 GMT
Really wish that Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella would do a Christmas run over here.
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Post by theatremadness on Apr 7, 2016 22:58:14 GMT
Confirmed by Baz:
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Post by daniel on Apr 7, 2016 23:17:15 GMT
Have to say I'm looking forward to this. Birmingham's panto is Qdos/Michael Harrison is said to be the best in the country - can't wait to see what they do with this!
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Post by CG on the loose on Apr 8, 2016 0:34:57 GMT
Ooh, love a bit of panto! This on the QDOS website: www.pantomime.com/news/pantomime-is-coming-home-to-the-palladium-after-29-year-absenceoh-yes-it-isand a little more in Baz's piece in the Mail itself: "A horse-drawn carriage — and a flying sports car — in a panto at the London Palladium? Oh no there isn’t. Oh yes there is! After a 30-year break, panto is returning to the Palladium. Michael Harrison, who will direct the ‘spectacular production’ of Cinderella with choreographer Andrew Wright, told me it will have the feel of an original show and be ‘stuffed’ with stars. The Qdos Entertainment effort will have a five-week run at the Palladium from December 9."
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2016 7:48:04 GMT
Any thoughts for casting??
It's a huge theatre so they need some big names to get crowds in to the West End, judging how many pantomimes there are around the UK!!
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5,495 posts
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Post by Baemax on Apr 8, 2016 8:00:08 GMT
My buddy has a theory - and the way she explained it sounds solidly well-reasoned but please do bear in mind it's a theory rather than a rumour or leak - that Lee Mead is going to be involved. EDIT: Also she reckons it's all but official that Paul Zerdin will be playing Buttons, so.
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Post by firefingers on Apr 8, 2016 9:13:25 GMT
Qdos? Shame. The Palladium deserves better than their copy-paste productions, with little to nothing in the orchestra pit, heavily scripted corpsing, and cast members who appear simply because they are off the telly, despite being completely unable to carry a tune. What a waste of a brilliant idea.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Apr 8, 2016 9:18:39 GMT
The spirit of Christmas.
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Post by benjiwicked on Apr 8, 2016 12:39:04 GMT
Can't wait for this, love a good Panto!
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Post by westendcub on Apr 8, 2016 12:53:18 GMT
Not a fan of Panto..not on my agenda but if the Kylie rumor actually came true I would have to go with a friend of mine, he loves his Kylie and knows how often I go to the theatre so not sure I could get out of not going!!
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Post by carmella1 on Apr 8, 2016 22:23:31 GMT
Kylie who?
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Post by Mr Wallacio on Apr 10, 2016 10:10:28 GMT
Britney? Really?
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Post by anita on Apr 10, 2016 10:12:59 GMT
Absolutely dire!
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Post by stuart on Apr 10, 2016 10:29:30 GMT
I heard Olly Murs was approached for this too?
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Post by horton on Apr 10, 2016 10:37:15 GMT
This will be horribly synthetic compared to the classics mentioned from 30 years ago!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 10:41:53 GMT
Yeah Britney has been approached, according to the daily mirror, to star as Cinderella. Kylie Minogue apparently said no.
Also lots of panto veterans and big UK names are said to be in talks of casting.
I wonder who else?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 10:42:14 GMT
I heard Olly Murs was approached for this too? Is this true? First I've heard but wouldn't surprise me
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Post by daniel on Apr 10, 2016 11:06:06 GMT
I'm really intrigued to see how this pans out. I have no doubts that Qdos can produce a big production with the inevitable big budget they'll throw at this - if they can pull off the casting, get the pricing right and fill the Palladium, this could become a cemented part of the annual programme. If, however, they fall short on one aspect or another, it could fail miserably and we may not see a Palladium panto for another 30 years.
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Post by johartuk on Apr 10, 2016 11:10:26 GMT
It wouldn't surprise me if Babs Windsor is approached (to play Fairy Godmother?), as she was in the last Palladium panto, so that would be a connection they could exploit.
I wonder if Biggins has been approached?
I can't imagine Britney in a panto! She'd have to sing live!
Kylie would have been interesting, though I see her more as Fairy Godmother than Cinders.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 11:51:12 GMT
It wouldn't surprise me if Babs Windsor is approached (to play Fairy Godmother?), as she was in the last Palladium panto, so that would be a connection they could exploit. I wonder if Biggins has been approached? I can't imagine Britney in a panto! She'd have to sing live! Kylie would have been interesting, though I see her more as Fairy Godmother than Cinders. Yeah I think Barbara Windsor would be great if she agrees! I'm not sure about Britney either but I guess she'd get the punters?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 11:58:37 GMT
Qdos? Shame. The Palladium deserves better than their copy-paste productions, with little to nothing in the orchestra pit, heavily scripted corpsing, and cast members who appear simply because they are off the telly, despite being completely unable to carry a tune. What a waste of a brilliant idea. I disagree, speaking as someone who attended the Birmingham Hippodrome's for 11 years (with a couple at the Wolverhampton Grand), they really are fantastic and deliver great sets, effects, as well as a star cast who deliver. They are by far the best to bring panto back to the Palladium.
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Post by Phantom of London on Apr 10, 2016 11:58:56 GMT
Will be a massive payday for some undeserving celebrities whoa career is on a wane, how about Vernon Kaye, they perhaps could so the Jim Davidson's Sinderella, with him doing a 3 in the bed with Cinderella and someone else.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 12:00:23 GMT
I wonder if Biggins has been approached? Well the show's twitter is following him, so maybe that could be a clue...?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 13:07:13 GMT
If someone like Britney did this, it would sell out so fast! Even if Kylie or as much as you would hate me to say it, Kim Kardashian would do it, it would sell out so fast! They all have massive legions of fans.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 13:21:01 GMT
If someone like Britney did this, it would sell out so fast! Even if Kylie or as much as you would hate me to say it, Kim Kardashian would do it, it would sell out so fast! They all have massive legions of fans. Yes I totally agree! That's the whole point of celebrities in pantomimes as it brings in the audience!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 13:23:52 GMT
I can't imagine Britney going from headlining vegas to doing panto at the palladium. Kylie is more of a possibility and would surely be fairy godmother.
I also think it's great it's qdos doing it, they are the best in the business and the only ones I can imagine pulling this off. So what if the pantos are cookie cutter with similar scripts, there are very few people that travel the country seeing each one to notice. And scripted corpsing happens in musicals as well.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 13:24:50 GMT
So smart of them to go for the big names. And lets be honest, the list of people that do panto these days, it is not all about talent, it is about getting an audience in for a month or two. And getting in people of this size, they can be sure that this will be a sellout that can see them through the Christmas period.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 13:27:56 GMT
You do need names that 'get' panto, there is an art to panto and some big names over the years have been awful.
It would also be a shame if it gets a name that is so big that it sells out the palladium straight away and pantos target audience (families)end up excluded. This would also affect the atmosphere.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 13:37:33 GMT
Put it into this perspective, if Britney got the role:
She has performed a residency show in Vegas now for 2 years and extended for the next two years... so far she has done around 140 shows thus far. The venue holds about 4,300 people a night, and over those 140 performances she has performed to 510,000 people, which is a huge amount considering. Now if there is say 5 weeks of performances in this, which if going by the usual West End performances is 8 shows a week, that means a total of 48 performances.
No doubt in my mind that if she is in for it, those performances will be packed to the brim with Britney fans in seconds.
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