Nothing quite compares to a British panto. I did not grow up here, but
in my first year studying in the UK a few years back, I joined my university’s
theatre society. Traditionally, in December, the programme included a panto and
I was thrown into its unique and bonkers genre.
This week, I attended my first panto in quite a while, and what a show
it was! Charming Dick, written by
Paul Emelion Daly and which is playing until 23 December at the Cockpit
Theatre, is an adult LGBTQ show from the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.
It follows Dick coming to London to seek fame, fortune and the big
time, but instead ending up working in a launderette with his Aunt Twankey (the
T is silent). But the Wicked Witch is determined to get her evil hands on the
launderette and steal poor Twanky’s magic lamp, which can turn gay bars into
gold, whilst the Witch’s sexually confused son Prince Charming is being pursued
by Eurovision wannabe Babe.
This was a really fun night for me, with fearless humour and banter, and
lots of talent! The musical elements directed by Patrick Rufey brought out the
cast’s beautiful voices. There were known songs like “Defying Gravity” with a
twist and the obligatory “All I want for Christmas is you” which actually made
me so joyful about the fact that… yes, it’s Christmas time again!
The classic elements of booing and hissing were there as the characters
went through dilemmas or couldn’t see the mouse that was innocently running
across the stage, and it can only be the sign of a good time if the actors can
make the audience scream “Big dick!” and “wankey!”.
The show is opened by Abigail Carter Simpson as Little Red Riding Hood
and plenty of other characters. Her singing voice is phenomenal and her energy
on stage really captured everyone’s attention.
Alistair Frederick, playing main character Dick, also had a beautiful singing
voice and I
Matthew Floyd Jones as the Witch was a joy to watch. He clearly had a
lot of experience playing these kinds of characters and you could see his
pleasure at playing her. Those heels and velvet cape suited him perfectly!
Tim McArthur as Twankey was also very comfortable in each of the
launderette’s costumes and didn’t hesitate to play with his fellow actors. He
was always ready to take on funny or awkward situations with full confidence.
Finally, Stewart Briggs as the Prince Charming who has trouble coming
out and has an unusually intimate relationship to his mother the Witch, showed
the perfect balance between the high royal status and the innocence of
discovery of who he is. Am I the only one who saw how shiny his lips were? Did
he wear lip gloss?
The five performers were all the stars of the show in their own way, and
each brought their own individuality to the story. My favourite ensemble moment
was the 12 days of Christmas song involving dildos and balls as well as flying
chocolate and snow. It was a true exercise of coordination and focus – all
mixed in with humour and a loudly laughing audience all around the arena stage!
I enjoyed Daly’s writing because it didn’t hesitate to comment on
current events and take every innuendo to its peak. However, I didn’t feel that
the joke making fun of the Chinese accent fit with the rest of the show, as
there wasn’t anything similar with other accents.
Overall this is a fun night with a great ensemble and a chance to really
find one’s Christmas spirit!
Review by Sophie Tergeist
Rating: ★★★★
