Review: POTTED PANTO, Wilton’s Music Hall
Photo credit: Geraint Lewis
There are so many shows to choose from this festive season so why not save some time and see multiple stories in one?! Potted Panto combines seven classic Christmas stories into eighty minutes of side-splitting seasonal fun.
Dan Clarkson and Jeff Turner first met twenty years ago, and this is the thirteenth year of Potted Panto. However, with a few topical jokes, the show feels incredibly fresh which is amplified by the duo’s brilliant chemistry. This is essential to ensure that they can rattle through the traditional pantos like Jack and the Beanstalk and Peter Pan and another popular Christmas story, A Christmas Carol, whose inclusion is debated throughout.
Potted Panto is wonderfully British, and it is truly a celebration of the tradition with all the typical elements we know so well, and some with an unexpected twist. In the world of Potted Panto, things don’t always go to plan and these are retellings as you’ve never seen them before; a French chicken fairy godmother, for example! The show is full of splendidly silly jokes and double entendre, which have the audience howling with laughter. Audience participation is encouraged, and the first half ends with a hilarious interactive horse ride complete with water guns and buckets of poo. Potted Panto is the epitome of festive fun and would be an excellent introduction to pantomime as all the classic lines such as ‘He’s behind you’ are explained by Jeff as Dan plays the fool.
Wilton’s Music Hall was built in the mid-nineteenth century and it’s one of only a few surviving music halls. It is a gorgeous and unique venue which makes it the perfect theatre for this twist on the British tradition. The small stage plays host to a simple but effective set which allows the duo to jump from story to story with ease. A flight of stairs means that at the end of each story, Dan and Jeff can do a classic panto finale walkdown, which is hilarious and a very useful plot device.
Potted Panto is slick and fabulously camp, just like Dan’s performance as Prince Charming. As in any pantomime, Dan and Jeff sport some outlandish costumes, terrifically terrible wigs and a plethora of hats. Paired with the set, these quick and simple visual changes allow the story to whizz along a suitably lively pace without losing it or the audience’s focus, although Dan certainly does some manic costume changes. There are so many characters and costumes to choose from but some of our favourites are Dan’s cow dungarees complete with udders, and Jeff’s transforming Cinderella dress which captures the magic of pantomime.
Potted Panto is a marvellous mash-up, which is perfect for all ages this Christmas.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Sophie Luck
Potted Panto plays at Wilton’s Music Hall until 30 December, with further information here.