Stage: Merry Christmas
Get ready to proclaim “It’s behind you” as panto season is just ahead of us
Forgive me for talking Christmas whilst the sun is still out, but panto season will be on us before you can say “it’s behind you”. In recent years the Theatre Royal Brighton has taken a step away form a traditional panto and staged a big, bold and brassy Christmas show – and to great acclaim. Okay there were those who bemoaned the lack of the traditional panto, and I could see their point. I am a big panto fan but with one very large proviso – it has to be done well.
Without raking over the past, pantos had not been a huge hit at TRB for a few years, whereas the new staging of The Wizard of Oz had been well recieved and loved by audiences. Spamalot went on to win over the crowds too with its irreverant look at the legend of King Arthur, and last year The Rocky Horror Show proved a huge draw and success for the theatre.
At the end of the day you have to look at the finances. TRB is part of a major theatre chain that receieves no public funding so it is their duty to turn a profit and keep the place open. The inclusion of popular theatrical entertainments enures that there can be a balance in programming. So for every Soul Sister and Spamalot, we can be offered a week of Shakespeare that may not draw the same lucrative crowd.
On that note, the Christmas show this year will be the West End stage musical version of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert. I caught this in the West End when it played for an extended run at the Palace Theatre and starred Jason Donovan. It’s a ripping show that manages to capture the fun and sadness of the original film whilst liberally peppering it with some of the campest song and dance routines ever to disgrace a stage. With costumes that had the audience gasping with delight and a score filled with all the hits that you hear on the film soundtrack, its a great night out at the theatre that, whilst containg some adult themes, is not overtly offensive.
Currently touring the UK, and appearing in Eastbourne from Monday 12 August for one week, this December showing in Brighton will make the perfect office Christmas outing – outing in every sense of the word. No doubt the audiences will fully embrace the whole thing too, so expect to be surrounded by pink feather boas, platform boots and lots of leopard print and Day Glo lurex!
Noel Sullivan is to star in the role of Tick when the show visits Brighton this Christmas. Noel is probably best known as one fifth of the record-breaking pop band Hear’Say. His television credits include the hit BBC comedy Gavin And Stacey. Most recently he played the lead role of Galileo in We Will Rock You, both in the West End and on a national tour. His other theatre credits include Nick in the national tour of Flashdance – The Musical and Danny in Grease in the West End.
Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert will also star Richard Grieve as Bernadette. Richard previously played the part of Tick in the West End production of the show and is probably best known as Jonny Foster in Emmerdale. A native Australian, he played Sam Kratz in Neighbours and Dr Lachlan Frazer in Home And Away. His UK theatre credits include the national tour of Footloose – The Musical and Bells Are Ringing at the Unicorn Theatre.
Based on the smash-hit movie, this is the heart-warming, uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they could have ever dreamed of. With a dazzling array of outrageous costumes and a hit parade of dancefloor favorites including ‘It’s Raining Men’, ‘Say A Little Prayer’, ‘Go West’, ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘Always On My Mind’, this wildly fresh and funny new musical is a journey to the heart of fabulous!
Congress Theatre, Eastbourne Monday 12–Saturday 17 August
Box office 01323 412000
www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk
Theatre Royal, Brighton. Tuesday 17 December 2013– Sunday 5 January 2014, Monday – Thursday & Saturday eves 7.45pm, Thursday 2 January & Saturday matinees 2.30pm, Friday 5pm & 8.15pm, Sunday 5pm
Box office 08448 717 650
www.atgtickets.com/brighton
