THE ARTS THEATRE PANTOMINE - DAME TROT’S PANTO PALAVER
Issac Stanmore and Matt Crosby as Wishy Washy and Dame Trott
Staging a Pantomime in 2020 is no easy feat.
The performing arts have taken a hit of epic-proportions this year. And the Cambridge Arts Theatre is up against a unique – unprecedented - task. Job losses, theatre closures and a staggering decrease in ticket revenue, mean the return of live the performance is a Christmas miracle. Yet the beaming faces and gales of laughter in the theatre last night proved it. has worked .
The Arts Theatre has pulled off the near impossible.
‘Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver’ tells the story of evil Count Covidular (played by Stephen Beckett) and his plan to ruin the holiday season and sabotage the beloved Christmas Pantomime. Responsible for self-isolation and the ruin of year 2020, Count Covidular is the baddest panto-villain ever. With his hands on the master script, the menacing villain will stop at nothing to prevent us goodies from living happily ever after, he even threatens a second wave.
The adventurous plot has many twists and turns - in and out of pantomimes gone by. Dick Whittington (Lucy May Barker) gets lost in Cinderella’s fairy-tale (played by Tamsin January), and Aladdin’s brother, ‘Wishee-Washee’ faces the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk. But the real star of the show is Dame Trott herself. Matt Crosby’s timeless pantomime Dame is laugh-out-loud funny. Dressed in a Velour tracksuit with the word ‘Juicy’ plastered across her behind, and a crop-top that unashamedly exposes a potbelly, Dame Trot is by far the funniest Dame to grace The Arts stage - since last year..
Her slap-stick rendition of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, Covid-19 style, is the Panto’s showstopper. From “nine bags of pasta”, “to five toilet rolls”, and “a face-mask made for three”, the Panto’s topical focus triumphs it pokes fun at the frustrations of social distancing and panic buying and provides a much-needed antidote to this bizarrely alternative year. Political pandemic humour was also not lost on the scriptwriter. Digs at Boris Johnson, Preethi Patel and Dominic Cummings make this panto perfect for child and adult alike.
‘Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver’ is a must-see performance. The feel-good music, glitzy costumes, and impressive choreography bring sparkle to the stage -. the show conjures a magical evening.
Safe to say this pantomime extravaganza puts enchantment back into Christmas.
REVIEW WRITTEN BY TIA BYER
