PERFORMANCE & COMEDY

Theatre Royal, Bath (Thur 15 Dec-Sun 22 Jan)

Three things encapsulate the enduring appeal of the Bath panto: dame Chris Harris, fool Jon Monie and gags about Trowbridge. All report for duty once again in this year’s show – the first ‘Dick’ since Sid ‘EastEnders’ Owen’s tuneless turn in 2004.

The sets, costumes and script have inevitably been largely recycled from that outing, but luckily the stream of topical gags – this year, aimed at super-injunctions, Louis Walsh, bankers, Olympics tickets, Clegg, Murdoch and zumba – give proceedings a glossy new topcoat. There’s also an unusually high volume of fantastically filthy ones, too – e.g. on the Olympics: “I’m thinking of entering myself… That’s lonely nights for you” – courtesy of Monie, who sets an auditorium full of kids wondering why Dad’s choking on his Chupa Chups.

Personally, one also always prays for as many of the year’s chart hits to be incorporated as possible – the more unlikely the better. Sadly, this is a Gaga-free year, although the shoehorning in of a dance competition scene purely to accommodate ‘Moves Like Jagger’ is a cause for tremendous cheer.

A general lack of charisma from any cast member who isn’t Harris or Monie (pictured above right and left, respectively) notwithstanding, it’s all great fun. There are cute child dancers, custard pies and a whizzy underwater video scene, “He’s behind you”s, baddie-booing and a sand dance. And by the time Harris turns up in the finale wearing Princess Beatrice’s royal wedding hat you have decided that you too would deploy the EU veto, were the great British pantomime ever under threat. (Anna Britten)

Copyright Anna Britten 2011

Pic: Freia Turland