The big, gay panto is back! Following last year's tremendous hit, Sleeping Beauty Takes A Prick, the "He's Behind You!" gang have brought their latest seasonal offering to the Charing Cross Theatre. This year's show has all the traditional tropes, and several cast members return, including the inimitable Matthew Baldwin as the dame. Playing Jack's mother, Baldwin is in fine form and once again he can draw laughs simply from a knowing look. The master of innuendo completely commands the stage whenever he appears. Also returning this year is Jordan Stamatiadis who does a nice turn as the villainous Lady Fleshcreep. We also liked Laura Anna-Mead's Simone. Her frequent attempts to sing her signature song were a comic highpoint. As Jack, Keanu Adolphis Johnson took camp to a new level which played off nicely against Joe Grundy's closeted Reverend Tim. While "subtle" is not a word one associates with this genre, this year the emphasis seems to be on shock humour, and the paedophilia reference definitely misses the mark. Overall, the production's jokes are less topical and more scatological. Similarly "coherence" is definitely not a hallmark of the typical panto narrative. Nevertheless, this story appears to have even more threads than necessary, and it's a shame that the giant doesn't make his appearance until Act II. Such caveats aside however, Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper have written a real audience pleaser, that is deftly directed by Andrew Beckett. Robert Draper and Sandy Lloyd's costumes are wonderfully wild, and we were amazed by Matthew Baldwin's fast changes. If you're looking to put a little x-rated magic into your seasonal celebrations, then look no further.
Rated: ★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Steve Gregson
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