I love Panto, but it did get me thinking - Is Panto like Marmite? - Do you love it, hate it - or think it's just for kids?
No one should be thinking it's just for kids, not when Patrick Monahan is the villain in the show, that's for sure!!
Courtesy of WTM, we went and watched the 2023 Pantomime - Sleeping Beauty - at Worthing's Pavillion Theatre.
It did not disappoint
When the promotional video came out announcing the wonderful Katie Pritchard as Fairy Amethyst and the hilarious Patrick Monahan as The Evil Underlord, I just knew it was going to be a fantastic night!
Having seen her in a few Worthing Pantomimes now, I am a huge fan of Katie's and while her humour and ad-lib is on point, I thoroughly enjoy listening to her sing, she has a fantastic voice and range.
The entire cast was fantastic, there was a small ensemble this year with several of them making this their Pantomime debut, but you never would have guessed and although a small group their presence filled the stage.
The Pantomime Dame or rather Queen Dorothia, who is played by Ross Muir, seemed a calmer character than seen in prior years, but just as funny. What I did notice is my boy is getting old! Both the boys (aged 12) this year picked up on the slightly ruder adult jokes, and then, like watching a light go on inside them both they realised why we adults enjoy Panto too.
Marcavia McCarthy plays the lead as Princess Ariana, and even though she has recently graduated and this was her first professional appointment, you never would have known. Every part the princess, Marcavia was a joy to watch.
The entire cast was fantastic, there was a small ensemble this year with several of them making this their Pantomime debut, but you never would have guessed and although a small group their presence filled the stage.
The Pantomime Dame or rather Queen Dorothia, who is played by Ross Muir, seemed a calmer character than seen in prior years, but just as funny. What I did notice is my boy is getting old! Both the boys (aged 12) this year picked up on the slightly ruder adult jokes, and then, like watching a light go on inside them both they realised why we adults enjoy Panto too.
Muddles created the best illusion at the beginning of the Panto showing he can't juggle! With his balls on a string, his fake juggling seemed funny, only the joke is on us, as Jay Rawlings can juggle! Later we were treated to Muddles balancing chairs on his chin and juggling a chair, table, and vase. Very impressive performance from Jay, who by the way, has broken 15 Guinness World Records!
To round off the cast and new to Worthing Panto was the rather dashing Royal Gardener Michael Auger every part the Prince Charming, but maybe best known for his nine years as a member of Collabro, the world's most successful musical theatre vocal group.
We, as a family, had a wonderful night and it definitely put us in the Christmas Spirit.
As always, the Panto was full of fun and laughter and lots of audience participation, so much so that Evil Underpants, as the children renamed him, pulled up Grandma Sue from the audience and dragged her around the building.
"Really good, one of the best we've seen. Really liked how the villain interacted with the audience" - Maxwell, Aged 12.
For me, it felt like the cast had gone feral this year, highly amusing especially with Lord Underpants abusing the front row and running off with someone's Gran, not to mention a rather enjoyable diet coke break!
For me, it felt like the cast had gone feral this year, highly amusing especially with Lord Underpants abusing the front row and running off with someone's Gran, not to mention a rather enjoyable diet coke break!
If you fancy catching this year's Panto, pop over to Worthing Theatres and Museum website and grab yourself some tickets. The Panto is playing from Friday 1st December until Monday 1st January.
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