Written by Fraser Boyle Directed By Tom Cooper Review by Dominic Corr The Gaeity ★★★★ A warm, hyper-local panto with charm to spare — and a few bumps in the magic carpet, Ayr’s Gaiety has carved out a reputation for homegrown pantos with a distinctly Ayrshire flavour, and Aladdie, written by Fraser Boyle and directed by … Continue reading Review: Aladdie – The Gaiety Theatre, Ayr
Written by Harry Michaels and Allan Stewart With Additional Material by Matt Slack, Grant Stott, and Jordan Young Directed by Ed Curtis Review by Dominic Corr The Festival Theatre ★★★★ Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre has become the temporary kingdom of festive excess while the King’s finishes its extended nap, and Jack and the Beanstalk arrives with all the … Continue reading Review: Jack and the Beanstalk – The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
Written by Alan McHugh Directed by Tony Cownie Review by Dominic Corr Beacon Arts ★★★★ Sharp as a spindle, warm as a mince pie, and just the right amount of daft. There’s a particular kind of Inverclyde alchemy that happens when the Beacon Arts Centre rolls out its annual panto: the familiar faces return, the audience settles … Continue reading Review: Sleeping Beauty – The Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock
Music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus Book by Catherine Johnson Directed by Phyllida Lloyd Review by Dominic Corr Edinburgh Playhouse ★★★★ ABBA, abs, and absolute chaos — but sung with the precision of a Swiss watch: there’s a particular kind of madness that descends upon the Edinburgh Playhouse whenever Mamma Mia! rolls into town. … Continue reading Review: Mamma Mia – Edinburgh Playhouse
https://youtu.be/vCpeYT6FwFg Written and Directed by Gordon Barr Review by Dominic Corr The Byre Theatre ★★★★ What’s the use in wishes, when all your festive hopes are granted by the Byre Theatre once more, this time for a more local spin on the classic Arabian tale: Aladdin. A riotous, tightly knit pantomime bursting with humour, strong … Continue reading Review: Aladdin – The Byre Theatre, St.Andrews
Written by Jonathan O'Neill and Issac Savage Directed by Stephen Whitson Review by Dominic Corr Dundee Rep ★★★★ One of the classics, Jack and the Beanstalk, is the kind of tale that people seem born to understand. The cautionary tale of trusting strangers, of having hope, and the quintessential story of adventure: Dundee Rep’s Jack … Continue reading Review: Jack and the Beanstalk – Dundee Rep
Written by Lewis Hetherington Co-directed by Dominic Hill and Joanna Bowman Review by Dominic Corr Citizens Theatre ★★★★ There’s something to be said for a touch of the macabre at Christmas: a pertinent reminder to the evils in the world which lie beyond the windowsill, or worse yet, right within the doorway. It’s something that … Continue reading Review: Beauty and the Beast – Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
Written and Directed by Johnny McKnight Musical Direction, Composition and Arrangements by Alan Penman Review by Dominic Corr Macroberts Art Centre ★★★★★ Remarkable to think that, in celebrating their twenty years of involvement with the Macroberts Art Centre pantomime, the celebrated performer, writer, director, dame, and icon Johnny McKnight revisits the woods nearly a decade … Continue reading Review: Weans in the Wood – Macroberts Art Centre, Stirling
Written and Directed by Barrie Hunter Musical Direction and Sound Design by Alan Penman Review by Dominic Corr Perth Theatre ★★★★ Chill out and prepare to be dazzled: The Snow Queen at Perth Theatre is a frosty feast of spectacle that warms the heart. With costumes that sparkle like freshly fallen snow and a set … Continue reading Review: The Snow Queen – Perth Theatre
Written by Harry Michaels and Alan McHugh With Additional Material from Elaine C Smith and Johnny Mac Directed by Kathryn Rooney Review by Dominic Corr The King's Theatre ★★★★ Life is always better with bubbles; this splash of spectacle, the King’s Theatre’s Little Mermaid pantomime, is a riot of colour, comedy, and villainy, with dazzling effects … Continue reading Review: The Little Mermaid – The King’s Theatre, Glasgow
