Decent pantomime / Christmas show

[FusionChefGeoff]

After 3 increasingly dreadful commercial pantos at our biggish local theatre, I've decided I just cannot justify spending £120 for 4 of us on such absolute dross.

It is always all pop songs crowbarred into a terrible script which barely tells the basic story. The usual corny 'parent' humour was just delivered as a random collection of jokes during one section rather than incorporated into the script and the acting is non existent.

Just checked and the company behind them is called ents24.com

The productions are always great - very colourful sets, good dance routines and DC love them regardless but it genuinely spoilt a whole day of Christmas for me as I was so looking forward to it and it was such a let down.

Is there any way of trying to find a more traditional musical style panto with proper songs, a vaguely intelligible script and god forbid a live band???

We're in the middle of the UK and don't mind travelling an hour or so and could get to London.

Any ideas?

The Lyric Hammersmith always has a good panto devoid of reality TV stars (no live band, though, because I don't think they'd fit one in).

And actually our local amateur drama group does a fantastic one every year so we tend to just go to that now - it's cheaper than the professional productions, the script is better than most, and there seem to be a lot of frustrated thespians locally so the standard of acting/singing is very high.

The panties at Stevenage is always excellent, written by the same person every year.

Pantos!! That will teach me to preview my message!!

Our small theatre used to do incredible productions, written by the same Artistic Director with loads of genuine local jokes and original score so love the sound of Stevenage - and will check out The Lyric as a London trip really adds to the experience (and cost unfortunately but hey!)

Oh an edit - it's Qdos Entertainments so they also produce the panto in our next closest theatre.

I don’t think ent24 are the producers - it’ll be Qdos, Darryl Beck or an independent. Here’s last year’s list.
www.its-behind-you.com/diary20182019.html

The question is: are you just unlucky in seeing a lot of shit pantos or do you actually not like pantos at all? What were the reviews like for the ones you saw? If they had good reviews from reputable sources then it’s likely that you just hate panto. If they had luke warm 3 star reviews then maybe you could do better. I love panto personally but I’m really picky. I look for really solid panto performers like John Barrowman, Lee Mead, Tim Vine, or Clive whose surname escapes me who is a legendary Hackney Empire Dame. In particular an inexperienced Dame who doesn’t get it can kill a panto stone dead. If possible I look for a Suzie McKenna script, and I always check the reviews because it’s too much money to shell out on a punt.

It’s possible however that you just hate panto. In that case, rather than seeking out “worthy” alternatives and denying the DC something they truly enjoy I’d recommend either getting someone else to take them, or lowering your expectations and sucking it up. It sounds as if it’s your disappointment that’s causing the problems, and if you can accept that the plot will be a shambles and just watch it for the singing and dancing you’ll be happier.

We've had a tradition for the last 10 years or so of going to see the local Panto at Billingham Forum Theatre.

We used to love it. But over the last few years the same core group of actors have been used time and time again - so its gotten to the point where it doesn't feel different every year. Added to the fact that the small tubs of ice-cream are now an eye-watering £3 each plus the expensive pre-show drinks from the bar all means that it has become a VERY expensive night.

My dh hates panto so we have always seen the local colleges performing arts students production that they do at a local theatre. Over the years we have seen Peter Pan, Annie, Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. Always an amazing production for such a young cast and it costs just under £50.

@blacksmiths09 your local to me, it’s The Arc we go to.

I had this problem at our big theatre in Nottingham. I was really disappointed.

Last year I went to derby arena and watched theirs. It was so good, I've booked again this year and it's so much cheaper than the big theatre in Nottingham.

@Metempsychosis wow you sound like you really know your stuff thank you.

To get good seats we'd have to book before the production opens though so that rules out the reviews or is there anything else you can add to help with that??

I think I like pantos I certainly used to and I've even worked on a commercial one backstage when I was in uni. I'm just disappointed with what passes as good by the current standard I think and hanker back to 'the good old days' when each theatre would write and produce their own!!

Stevenage doesn’t have an original score, but it is exact like the pantos I remember as a child, and I grew up with Bobby Knutt and Billy Pearce, so the bar is quite high!

Stevenage doesn’t have an original score, but it is exact like the pantos I remember as a child, and I grew up with Bobby Knutt and Billy Pearce, so the bar is quite high!

You need to come North to the Newcastle Theatre Royal to see Danny Adams & Clive Web. Their pantos are amazing every year. Sometimes there’s a 3D part where everyone gets 3D glasses to watch, sometimes they have a camera turned on the audience. It’s hilarious. They’re amazing at what they do.

Gordon Craig in Stevenage do good pantos. I’m not a fan generally but quite enjoy theirs

The royal Albert hall. We saw the snowman and Paddington last year!

If you want a change from panto what about ‘nativity the musical’ I saw it last year and it was so good I’m going again. I am a huge fan if the film though so maybe not to everyone’s taste

I second the Lyric panto in Hammersmith!