By Michelle Rawlins
It’s panto season again (oh, yes it is!), so let the family fun fuelled silliness and ridiculous, raucous antics begin.
Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre has a long history of entertaining their loyal audience and this year’s brilliantly bonkers performance of Jack And The Beanstalk is a stroke of comedy genius.
Much-loved Dame, Damian Williams, is back for his 15th stint in the city he calls his second home, with his comical array of colourful and eye-popping costumes, including a somewhat amusing Elton John number. Alongside him on stage, is TV legend, Wendi Peters, best known for her role as Cilla Battersby in Corrie, playing the fabulous Fairy Sugarsanp, who adds just the right amount of magic to the show with her rhyming couplets and sparkly wand.
Additional pizzazz comes from Maxwell Thorpe, who got to this year’s final Of Britian’s Got Talent, after winning the hearts of the nation with his impressive operatic voice, and certainly adds a touch of class and helps raise the roof in this funnier than funny production.
But serious competition for the star of the show, must come from the famous, and cuter than cute CBeebies Waffle the Wonder Dog, who confidently strolls on and off stage, adding his own element of perfectly timed comedy, ignoring Dame Trot’s command for him to perform an agility test, to the delight of those watching.
As you would expect from this slick festive frolic of a show there are plenty of shouts of ‘It’s behind you’, the traditional list of wheelbarrow rapid-fire jokes, the Bright Side of Life bench, countless capers, and endless quips, including localised one-liners, with the expected gags targeted at Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, as well as the odd one aimed at Greta Thunberg.
One particular stand out scene, involves a ‘I’m A Celebrity’ style weather machine, leaving the audience howling with laughter, after poor Dame Trot becomes the recipient of a relentless torrent of rain – think water by the bucket load leaving him drenched to the bone.
The suave Jack is performed by Rock of Ages star, Sam Turrell, who alongside his sidekick, Jess (Sarah Freer) do a grand job of navigating Paul Hendry’s side-splitting script, loosely based on the story of what happens after poor Delilah the cow (cue Tom Jones lyrics ) is haphazardly sold for a bag of beans.
This year’s ‘baddie’, the astutely named, Luke Backinagnger (Marc Pickering) is suitably gruesome, creating enough ‘boos’ until he reveals he only turned to the dark side after his younger self was booed off stage when auditioning for a boy band, gaining the expected sympathy, ensuring good with always overcome bad.
Pantos have become an expected and much-anticipated part of the seasonal theatre line up, appealing to all ages, from pre-schoolers to grandparents, and judging by the endless laughter and frequent generous applause bestowed upon the well-versed cast, this fast-paced Christmas cracker certainly won’t disappoint.
Running until January 3 2023
Tickets available here
Photos by Pamela Raith