I guess a 4 line nursery rhyme gives plenty of scope

It was the last night of York Panto on Saturday. This year, it was Humpty Dumpty. Not that it mattered, as there was no discernable plot. We had Snow White in there, complete with 7 penguins rather than dwarves (Snow, geddit?), Old King Cole, and Young King Cole, who was, of course, called ‘Nat’, and Simple Simon, and a baddie called Eggula. And of course, Humpty himself, who emerged from the egg.

We had the usual company of actors, Berwick (31 years and counting*), David (yes, still got it), Martin, Suzy, Vince. A few new recruits too among the dancers, including David’s 19 year old daughter. As I remember her running round as a toddler on last night, I felt old. There was possibly the campest panto chorus I’ve ever seen. (All dressed as Superheroes, below, for no particular reason)
This year, I didn’t get to see it before last night, so it was all new to me – though many of the jokes, and the slosh scene, were distinctly recycled. But that’s the joy of it, and that’s why we come back year after year. When it got to the songsheet, it’s usually ‘girls and boys’ against ‘mums and dads’.

Berwick looked out at the audience. ‘All those under 18 raise your hands’. Two hands went up. ‘Hmm, I think you’re going to stuggle’. Of course it was a draw, as it always is.

As always, we had our script as the audience, and were pretty much on cue. There’s definitely a Eurovision fan in there somewhere, as I suddenly realised that the main love song was in fact this year’s winning song from Norway.

Despite being on the second row of the Stalls I didn’t get a Wagon Wheel. Next year they’re doing Robinson Crusoe. As Berwick said, 'if you do Jack and the Beanstalk, you pretty much have to have a beanstalk, and a cow', and he likes to take a title and see where it goes.

* I think I’ve missed about 5 of them, the first 3, and *ahem*, those in 2004 and 2005 when I was otherwise engaged.

'The night when anything can happen...and usually does'

Saturday night was the last night of this season’s York Panto. It’s Berwick’s 30th, (and he did miss a couple of years back in the 80’s), and David’s 21st. For me, I guess it’s about my 25th panto, as I didn’t come in right at the beginning, and I can’t remember how many last nights I’ve seen.

You have to get the tickets by ballot, usually in about March, and there was a bit of a panic last year, as this time it was limited to four tickets per household. As there’s a core of 6 of us who go, that could have been a bit of a problem – thankfully, between us we secured 8 tickets.

I’m the only one of us who goes twice, once to see the show, and then to see what happens on the last night, when the crew play all sorts of jokes on the cast. The actors look of fear, when the audience start to laugh and they can’t yet see the reason, is a joy to behold. This year we had rather fab seats in the stall. The last night audience doesn’t need any warming up. From joining in the chorus of ‘Babbies and Bairns’ before the curtain goes up, we’re into it.

Every year, the audience have a ‘script’ to follow, which seems to get more complicated year on year. This time we had two pages, and also had to put on a mask at one point in the show. We’re pretty slick after years of practice:

Everyone leave the stage screaming when Dick arrives. Dick is confused.
Dick: My popularity appears to have declined
Us: We still love you!

Dick, standing before Old Mother Shipton’s Petrifying Well*: Should I go in?
Us: No!
Dick: Should I let Old Mother Shipton go in?
Us: Yes!

It was fabulous, all the Eurovision references just as funny as before, but this time performed by a band who were dressed as highwaymen in Act 1, and as a Rock band in Act 2 – must have been very hot in those wigs. Best gag of the night was probably the sight of the Artistic Director and the Chief Executive running screaming across the back of the stage when Berwick said ‘I’ll just have to go on till I’m seventy’.

At the end, he always announces what next year’s (this year’s!) show will be.

‘Humpty Dumpty – we’ll be keeping the title, and there’ll be an egg’

It’s enough to bring us all back for more.

*A real place, honest.

Flying the flag...for York

‘What’s with all the Eurovision?’ I whisper to J at the interval. We’re watching York Panto. This year it’s Dick Turpin. Not that it matters, as there’s never really any plot, just the ‘same old rubbish’ and the same faces year after year, and that’s the fun of it.

When Old Mother Shipton looks out into the audience for the ‘boys and girls’, she struggles. I can’t see a single child in the dress circle, and we only spot one in the bar.

Last year, they did a routine to Wild Dances, the Eurovision winner from Istanbul. This year, in Act 1, we’ve had Love Shine a Light. I’m starting to think someone here is a Eurovision fan.

When Act 2 opens with a vampire rock version* of Hard Rock Hallelujah, I’m convinced. We then get the most brilliant MYMU** routine seen this side of Bucks Fizz. It’s spot on, and I am in fits – so much so that the chap in front turns round at the end and says ‘you have an amazing laugh’, which I take to mean I was very loud.

Finally, we have a version of Flying the Flag, which tips me over the edge. I am almost crying with laughter. But it works really well.

Apparently, this year the V&A are recording it for posterity. It deserves it. I still didn’t get a Wagon Wheel though!

*Too difficult to explain, honestly
** Making Your Mind Up, of course!

A tale of men in frocks...and Wagon Wheels

After the traumatic visit to the panto in Cardiff, I felt the need for a ‘proper’ panto, and, as I've mentioned before, there is really only one panto that I give the time of day, and that’s the one at York Theatre Royal.

Is it really that different from all the others? I know it doesn’t have anyone from Neighbours or Big Brother (thank God). Then you see a run of the mill panto, put on by one of the big panto production companies and you realise, Oh yes it is!

So Monday night, I went to see this year’s offering, Cinderella, accompanied by Corinne, who I though very brave to try another panto after the last experience, so I was a little concerned that it would live up to my high praise.

As we took our seats, Corinne commented on the small number of children in the audience, which I said was typical for this panto. From the moment Berwick entered trying to convince us that this year he would be playing Cinders, with his traditional greeting of ‘me babbies, me bairns’ we were away. And I was laughing, at the ad libbing, at David Leonard playing both the Baron and the Baroness, which demanded some very quick changes, at the animal glove puppets that sang along to the love song between the Prince and Cinders (now played by perennial principal girl, Suzy Cooper), at the ‘slosh’ scene, where buckets of water were thrown with incredible force.

There was a beautiful transformation scene, the Fairy Godmother in a fabulous red sparkly frock (oh, yes, I could see myself in that!) and a tribute to Martin Barrass’s 21st panto, which made me laugh at all the clips from pantos past.

Then one of the most important parts of the evening, the throwing (but not hard, oh no, remember Health and Safety!) of the Wagon Wheels. Oh yes, readers, I have indeed fought off small children in the past for possession of a Wagon Wheel. This year, as soon as we sat down and we at the end of a row, owing to the removal of some seats, I thought, ‘good chance here’ and indeed a broad grin at Martin as he came down the aisle, brought the desired Wagon Wheel. Which I promptly gave to Corinne, ‘I hope you feel honoured, I’ve never given one away before!’.

I guess it made me realise that there really is only one panto for me. And I get to see it all again on Saturday, for the last night. But will it be the same show – Oh no it won’t!

If anyone is interested to read more about Berwick and his approach to panto, there's an article here from a couple of years ago.

A conversation

I'm sitting getting my nails done (they're now very dark green, with silver stars, and rather fabulous!) and the conversation has turned to pantomime. One of the girls has been to 'the other' panto* which this year is Aladdin.

'Yeah, it was ok, but when they got the magic carpet out, my sister and I got really excited'
'Why?'
'Because this was the bit we were waiting for, 'A Whole New World', but it wasn't even Aladdin and the Princess on the carpet, and they didn't even sing it. It was really disappointing'.

I bite my tongue, and don't try and explain that this is panto, and not a stage adaptation of the Disney film.

*This being the one at the Grand Opera House, and not the Theatre Royal, which, as everyone knows, is the only panto to see in York.

Costume - historical to hysterical

Today they had a costume sale at the Theatre Royal. I can’t resist these, even though I know nothing much will fit me. It’s the chance to pick up a piece of theatre memorabilia, and much if it has special memories for me, as I worked in costume hire for nearly 3 years, when I was at Uni.

I got there about 11, and given it had only started at 10, an awful lot of stuff had already been sold. As a producing house, each new production brings more costumes into the hire department until the rails are packed. The big attractions at the sales are Berwick Kaler’s ‘Dame’ dresses from panto. They are huge, and take up so much storage space, every couple of years there has to be a bit of a clear out.

But in many ways for me it was the other things that brought back the memories – a maid’s dress from John Doyle’s production of Twelfth Night, two outfits from Charley’s Aunt that look like they are made of curtain material, and which we once persuaded someone to wear to ‘Sing-a-long-a Sound of Music’, courtesan costumes from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, fake chain mail from the Wars of the Roses, David Leonard’s leggings* from panto.

I eventually bought a black skirt from a production of ‘Way of the World’. I didn’t actually see this production, but it’s costumes were always some of my favourites – totally off the wall, and bizarre in style, they rarely hired out, but were my favourites for dressing up in. The skirt I bought is one I wore once to a costume convention, so it has personal memories for me.

The sale took place on the stage, so for a few moments I stood there, and looked out into the auditorium. It always amazes me how intimate that theatre feels. It has about 850 seats, and yet no one feels far away from you when you are on the stage. It has a sense of warmth and of history, and, yes, that little bit of magic. Are you getting the impression that I really need to do some theatre again?

*‘I’m very taken with David’s legs, but I don’t know what I’d do with them’
‘You could frame them’