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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be so disappointed in Biggins?

26 replies

OhNoItIsnt · 19/12/2011 13:48

That's it really - DH took DS1 and three other children to see Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates at the New Theatre in Cardiff with my mum. I was stuck at home with DS2 who is too young for it and was looking forward to being regaled with tales of high jinx, japes and jollity!

Apparently - Biggins was just there to sell his book....he entered and exited stage left EVERY time, didn't go further than centre stage and didn't DO or SAY anything...

DH said it was apallingly bad.

£27 a head that cost...won't be doing that again. Suspect I should be warning others not to either.

OP posts:
BigFatSpider · 19/12/2011 13:56

Oh no, don't say that... We're going on Friday and it's cost me a bloody fortune! :(

Original poster
OhNoItIsnt · 19/12/2011 14:10

Sorry - 'tis true. DH and my mum were both cross at the poor quality. The children enjoyed it though - so that is something. But it should have been much better - and you'd think an old pro like Biggins should know that - especially at the price they are charging.

Please have a lovely time on Friday and update us - you might think differently! Xmas Smile

OP posts:
AFuckingFestiveKnackeredWoman · 19/12/2011 14:15

I would email the theatre, really ham it say you only booked because he was in it.Xmas Grin

BigFatSpider · 19/12/2011 14:39

Boo, that's rubbish! Especially considering some gossip on remuneration I heard yesterday which I shouldn't repeat... suffice to say, it involved obscene amounts of money...

Ah well, I'm sure DS (4.7) will enjoy it - and that's all that matters, right... Xmas Hmm

Poogles · 19/12/2011 15:05

Double Boo!! We're off to see it on Friday as well and I had hoped it would be a great panto as Biggins is a pro at them...

Liluri · 19/12/2011 15:07

Definitely complain to the theatre.
They need to be spending their budget more effectively, it seems.

I'd consider contacting the local paper too, tbh.

mrsjay · 19/12/2011 15:08

SO its true he will go to an opening of an envelope if it involes making money , i know hes meant to be all jolly etc but i find him on everthing and his jolly fatness meanacing I know thats weird Confused but ive always felt that about him , I would email the theatre and say how dissapointed you were with the panto what character was he supposed to be ?

Original poster
OhNoItIsnt · 20/12/2011 09:38

I'll suggest complaining to the theatre to my mum but I don't know if the local paper will help. Apparently the Western Mail gave a good review Xmas Hmm

At one point he came on for all of 10 sdeconds in a red angry birds costume and didn't even say anything!

OP posts:
DogQuestions · 20/12/2011 09:50

It's possible he was sick that day and just dragging himself through the motions - always a risk with the older Panto performers at this time of year. Still annoying for you of course, but there might be some hope for the poster going on Friday.

Poogles · 21/12/2011 08:51

Fingers crossed! Will report back on Saturday!

BigFatSpider · 23/12/2011 18:24

Well here we are at the New Theatre - the press quotations outside are certainly Biggin him up so it remains to be seen whether he can deliver!

Pootles, hope you and your family have a good evening - sadly I have no Xmas Biscuit in place of a carnation to confirm my MN affiliation... But I do have a grumpy 4 year old who absolutely has to have some cheap sparkly tat from the stand, and who absolutely isn't getting any...

BigFatSpider · 23/12/2011 18:27

Or Poogles even! Sorry...

Is it time for interval ice cream yet?!

Liluri · 23/12/2011 18:48
Grin Does the table laden with sparkly tat include those laser pointers? You could train one on Biggins in an accusatory manner if he proves to be less than the billing suggests?
Kayano · 23/12/2011 18:50

I hope we get regular updates on this Grin

Hassledge · 23/12/2011 18:54

Am amazed that Biggins had an opportunity to talk at some length in front of a captive audience and didn't take it, tbh. I thought you couldn't shut the man up.

BigFatSpider · 23/12/2011 19:01

Bugger - I'm going to have to buy sparkly bloody laser tat now, aren't I, to be able to foist the collective wrath of MN on Biggins if he's shit! Xmas Grin

Liluri · 23/12/2011 19:10

Yes, yes you are! Xmas Grin

BigFatSpider · 23/12/2011 20:17

Right then - anyone interested in an interval review?!

I'm afraid to say that sadly, IMO, OP and her family were shortchanged :(

There's definitely an awful lot of entrance/exit stage left, but there's also plenty of dialogue - perhaps not quite as much as I'd expect from a big name, but more than adequate. Would you believe CB did indeed take the opportunity to plug his book... naff, but fairly tongue in cheek I think.

Paul Zerdin's fabulous ventriloquism (sp.?!) is the highlight for me - although DH has developed a crush on Girl Friday (she's like something out of Rasta Mouse!) and DS is rather keen on the mermaid... I have simple tastes and liked the fluorescent dancing fish Xmas Blush

OP, I'm so sorry you didn't have a great experience - if the first half is anything to go by based on CB's performance thus far, I think you would definitely have grounds to complain that you saw a sub-standard performance. Poogles, what do you think of it?!

Must go, my ice cream has been lovingly cradled between my knees and I've just felt an ominous drip reach my ankle...

Kayano · 23/12/2011 20:25

I am annoyed on all your behalfs.

I have already designated all panto trips for this unborn child of
Mine to the grandparents lol Wink

BigFatSpider · 23/12/2011 22:35

Home again and consensus Chez Spider is that overall it was a pretty good show with a solid cast, classy performances from the pro musical theatre supporting cast and a tight orchestra. Biggins warmed up considerably in the second half, confirming our feeling that he was really only going through the motions at the beginning. He took a good 20 minutes at the end of the show (before the finale) to get 4 kids up on the stage and get some active participation going - came into his own here with some quality ad lib.

IMO, he wasn't a patch on the late great John Inman who we saw in 2004 (I think) at the New Theatre and DH is not convinced that CB entirely deserved the salary paid - it's been published in The Independent (so I don't feel bad mentioning it now!) that he's the second highest paid panto dame, behind Barry Humphries. I would wear big knickers and camp around on stage for 50k a week (a week!!!!!) no trouble Xmas Grin

OP, having watched the whole performance I really would encourage you to take it up with the New Theatre and challenge them on the quality of the performance your family saw - they really did deserve more.

And I definitely didn't come home with sparkly tat at all. Honest. sucker

Liluri · 23/12/2011 23:09

Glad you all had a good night! Smile

BigFatSpider · 23/12/2011 23:20

Thanks Liluri Xmas Smile

Will be really interested to hear what Poogles thought of it - there were some really fantastic bits courtesy of Paul Zerdin - worth the money just to see him!

Having a Wine now and an extremely indulgent cuddle with DS, fast asleep on my knee still clutching his sparkly laser tat... Xmas Wink

Poogles · 24/12/2011 07:06

Agree with spider - Paul Zerdin was fab. We went to the matinee. Was a bit underwhelmed by Biggins in the 1st half but thought he came into his own in the second half. Lots of the jokes were in the costume i.e. angry bird! Felt the the role for Biggins wasn't well thought out but he did the best he could with the script. All in all we loved it from age 3 - 67 (not me - outlaws!)

We all came away happy (and avoided sparkly rubbish). Would have preferred a traditional panto. DH was glad we weren't in the front row but I would have loved to see him on stage as a dummy!

Enjoy if you are yet to go. OP I think your DH was short changed, although I did expect a little bit more from Biggins!

mummymccar · 24/12/2011 07:15

I completely disagree! We saw it on the 10th and loved it. No kids with us at all but we were all kept amused. My DP hates panto but was in stitches throughout, my dad loves panto and has seen a fair few over the years and said it was one of the best. We thought Biggins was a highlight. The guy playing Robinson was very funny too (no idea who he was though!) The Angry Birds thing was more of a visual joke so it'd be difficult for someone who wasn't there to find it funny.
It was my sister's birthday that day and Biggins sang her a song and cracked a fair few jokes about her, completely off the cuff which we thought was great.
They may well have had an off night last night but that doesn't mean it'll be the same every show. Tbh it sounds like my family and yours went to completely different pantos!

TreeMayhem · 30/12/2011 15:42

Well, we went to see this yesterday and I have to say, I agree with the op Sad

Although, the show as a whole was good (and Paul zerdin in particular was very good) - Biggins was awful.

We were in the front row so could see the cast faces very close up.

Biggins looked knackered and very old.

He walked around very slowly, physically couldn't manage to bow at the end, and generally looked as though he was struggling to get through the performance.

He messed up his lines at least 6 times that were very noticeable (I suppose there could have been even more).

Considering he was supposed to be the headline act, I feel the show would barely have suffered if he hadn't been there at all.

The rest of the cast were great and really just carried Biggins along for the ride.

Even when he got the kids on stage at the end, he was awful with them. He made 1 little boy (aged 4) cry on stage by pretending that he forgot to give him a goody bag, and then didn't even do anything to console him! Twat.

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