Sleeping Beauty, Newark Palace Theatre

by Patrick Astill

This was a panto that had it all.

Big name stars, a comic that really got the crowd going, and – unlike some other big pantos in the area this year – some fantastic set-pieces that everyone loved.

We were treated to a comedy wallpapering sequence, some fun with getting kids from the audience up on stage, the traditional face-off between the dame and a ghost – and much, much more.

It was largely down to the very talented and popular cast. Who'd ever have thought we'd be seeing 70s pianist Bobby Crush sitting centre-stage at his mini-grand, in a bright orange dress, tights and heels, with a ginger wig and bashing out a rock'n'roll piano medley?

There's a time and a place for everything, and this was both the time and the place!

Then we enjoyed Vicki Michelle, from the 'Allo 'Allo sitcom, as Carabosse, the evil fairy, who warmed to her task as the show went on. Working well with Bobby, they executed a vessel-with-the-pestle sequence with aplomb.

Mike Newman Jnr, as Muddles, won the children over from the start, again easing into character to win one of the biggest cheers at the end. With everyone cowering from his water pistols he surprised us all by leaping into the audience to get a better shot!

Everyone has their musical solo and, with some brilliantly executed dance movements from the girls at the Tozer Dance Studios, this must surely be one of the best in Newark for many years.

The spectacular laser light show added to the story, rather than taking over the performance, and it was only at the end when we had time to catch breath that everyone sat back to say "wow".

If you see one panto in Notts this Christmas, make sure it's this one.

First published in the Nottingham Evening Post. 

Misery – Newark Palace Theatre

It cannot be easy to bring a well-known film to the stage and make it work so well.

On the big screen, the actors can shoot, re-shoot, use camera tricks and all kinds of devices to tell their story.

On the stage at Newark, Julie Fox and Matthew Hewitt get this Stephen King tale spot on and manage to make us smile and squirm in equal measure, as they make an easy connection with the audience.

They work well together to convey writer Paul Sheldon’s descent into hell when imprisoned by his “greatest fan” after a road accident.

As schizophrenic Annie takes control of “her” author at her isolated farmhouse, she realises she need to keep him there longer if he is to pen a personal sequel for her – and stops at nothing to keep him there. The scene where she breaks his ankles as a safeguard against his escape is particularly well handled, and sent a palpable shudder through the audience.

One gripe was the lengthy pauses used to denote the passage of time, where the theatre is plunged into darkness to the strains of an electric guitar lament. They could only have been ten or twenty seconds but each and every one would have been a more comfortable with just a few seconds less each time. Or maybe it was the ideal time-out to hammer home the agony of Paul Sheldon as he plots his shocking release.

And although it was only a small audience, the actors could surely have found time for a second curtain call so we could have shown our appreciation a little longer.

The Sociable Plover - Newark Palace Theatre

Perfectionist twitcher Roy Tunt is ready to catch a rare species on film and tick another box on his list of British birds, the most important, which will complete his set and make him one of the elite.

This is the premise of The Sociable Plover (Vanellus gregarious and a wader in the lapwing family of birds, which is critically endangered).

Gnome collector, scoutmaster and with a broken marriage behind him, is Roy (Guy Masterson) a knowledgable perfectionist or a pedantic OCD-suffering nerd? The banality of his life is painful.

He is suddenly joined in the claustrophobic atmosphere of the hide by gruff, mysterious “Dave John”, wringing wet, and hungry, after not having eaten for three days. Dave (Ronnie Toms) says his brother has just died while serving in the RAF.

And although a slightly sinister presence after the square behaviour of Roy, the audience can easily warm to his Londoner's charm and attempts at conversation with his new-found friend.

The action, set in an L-shaped bird hide of around 12 square yards, veers from black comedy to taut thriller and unfolds to reveal a twist so unexpected that it would be unfair to reveal any more of the plot.

Suffice to say, the 100 or so who turned up at the Palace in Newark to witness it would have done well to bring a few more friends along to enjoy this perennial favourite.

Written and directed by Tim Whitnall, The Sociable Plover mimics Pinter's two handers to some extent but is less coded and readily accessible.

The Barron Knights - Palace Theatre, Newark

I thought I could remember The Barron Knights from way back.

Well, the 70s is way back isn’t it, when they hit the charts with A Taste of Aggro and Live in Trouble?

It turns out they’ve been going strong since 1959, and although I knew they’d had some “straight” songs in their repertoire too, I had no idea these 60s covers were the ones that get the crowd going.

Harmony forms a key part of the group’s evening and they used their talents to perfectly recreate the work of the Everly Brothers and Frankie Valli, among many others. Paul McCartney’s Blackbird, for instance, sung a cappella was a moment to savour.

The only remaining founder member is Peter Langford – and he reminded us of his own virtuoso talent, leading the band in The William Tell Overture and performing flamenco on acoustic.

A true cabaret band, you get the feeling that The Barron Knights today wouldn’t be out of place doing summer season. But they have bigger fish to fry, continually touring the world.

Whether the band is still genuinely funny after all these years or whether there’s a certain amount of warm affection, it’s hard to judge on their comedy numbers.

While their 70s hits made me chuckle, there was also new (to me) material, which neatly filled the gaps between the music they say has formed the soundtrack to their lives.

Time out from the singing gave Peter chance to remind us that they previously toured with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. But those days are long gone – magically brought back to life only as long as The Barron Knights continue to tour.

Cinderella - Palace Theatre, Newark

The well-picked bunch of performers hits the mark at every turn in a fairy tale couple of hours of festive fun.

Naomi Slater was the perfect Cinders. Everything you could hope for – and more, with a winning smile and just a hint every now and again that she was really enjoying herself.

And Darrock and Howe, billed as Britian’s ugliest sisters, really are.

But Martin Platt from Corrie, or should I say actor Sean Wilson, was in charge - as Buttons. Much more at home being himself or doing asides or impressions than when he was trotting out the gags, our kids loved him and he was a firm favourite with this matinee audience.

Countered by Emmerdale’s Daniel Brocklebank (who has a fantastic singing voice) as the prince, there’s a real battle of the soaps in Newark this Christmas!

Anyone with children aged six or so will know the Fairy Godmother, Nicole Davis. She used to be one of the faces of CBeebies on TV, and her stock rose with the dads in the crowd as she flitted about in a barely-there outfit for her Strictly Come Dancing skit.

Highlights for me were the magical transformation of the rats, lizards and pumpkin into a coach with REAL horses – and where Cinderella’s rags turned into a glittering ball gown in a split second… thanks to the magic of theatre!

This, and an absorbing fox-hunting scene with superb performances from all the dancers, the kids from Tozer Studios included, truly captured the spirit of panto.

Vampires Rock, Newark Palace Theatre

With flame-throwers, blood, fireworks and bats, this show is something of a shameless romp through some top rock anthems, with the music of Queen, Billy Idol, Rainbow, AC/DC, Bonnie Tyler, and even good old Suzi Quatro.

The show lent itself well to the talents of Meat Loaf tribute artist Steve Steinman (the man who dreamed it all up) who - apart from appearing completely bemused by a quiet audience during the first half - gave a solid and passionate performance as Baron von Rockula, owner of the Live and Let Die club, who is searching for a new bride.

The evergreen Toyah Willcox as The Devil Queen in foxy skin-tight red leather is a powerhouse, screaming on to the stage and putting all her energy into hits like She Sells Sanctuary and Live and Let Die.

Toyah turns out to be the star turn, full of energy, vitality and cheekiness. Although she's not the female lead. That's reserved for Emily Clark as Pandora Honeybox, who becomes the object of Rockula's attentions, annoying his hissing, jealous queen.

Some of the signposting is rather tongue in cheek, when characters utter "it must be the final countdown", to usher in the old Europe song, or "I think you give love a bad name" (Bon Jovi).

But the audience IS there to have fun and eventually enter Steinman's world, with a little panto banter between stage and punters developing. A sneaky section in the second half invites the audience to stand - and that's when Newark finally got into full swing, let its hair down and enjoyed a rocking good night.

Cinderella, Newark Palace Theatre

I'M a convert! For more than 40 years I somehow managed to avoid the ballet but this was a magical introduction.

European Ballet mixed sparkle, humour, tradition and – of course – elegant dance in this incredibly accessible production.

Prokofiev's famous score was the glue that held together the much-loved tale with sparse props ensuring the dance told the story.

From lowly Cinders (Scilla Cattafesta) dancing gracefully with a broom when she fears she won't be able to get to the royal palace, we see her transformed into the belle of the ball after she was the only one to show an old beggar some kindness.

For many in a packed house, the ugly sisters were a star turn, wonderfully conveying their mood swings between petulance, envy, excitement and just plain grumpiness. Ania Thormeyer and Felizia Roth's ham-fisted footwork as they took dance lessons before the ball brought comedy – and some laugh-out-loud moments – to the show.

The ensemble dance after the handsome prince (Vincent Cabot) and Cinderella fell in love at the ball was the most spectacular, lending itself well to the intimacy of the venue.

Happily, Cinders forgave the ugly sisters for their cruelty and this faithful retelling left the audience with a very happy ending.

Babe, The Sheep Pig, Palace Theatre, Newark

THIS Theatreworks production proved a great antidote to the half-term blues.

A clever adaptation of a well-loved tale brought puppets to life on stage to thrill the young crowd in the stalls.

Perhaps 'puppet' gives the wrong impression though, because although the main animal characters were operated on stage by real people standing behind them, the artistes were so accomplished that after the first few minutes you really didn't notice them. Honestly. So unintrusive were they, and such was their mastery of very believable puppets/models, that the story was all.

It runs pretty much along the lines of the famous film, with Farmer Hogget winning a piglet at the village fair and going on to bond with him as he grows up among the sheep dogs.

Genuinely sad moments like the mother sheep dog Fly saying goodbye as her pups are sold off are matched with the drama of sheep rustlers and the death of a ewe after being frightened by a dog.

They are balanced with Babe's success in winning round the doubters – and eventually walking away with the sheep dog trials' main prize.

This adaptation of the Dick King-Smith novel by top children's stage writer David Wood was good value at an hour and a quarter, with an interval for those with a penchant for ice cream.

Just a pity more good folk of Newark didn't think to nip in to avoid the showers by cosying down in the stalls for a surefire winner with the kids.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Newark Palace Theatre

You've read the book, seen it on telly at story time – so now make sure you see the play!

It must be something of a challenge to turn a children's book that lasts just five minutes into a full-blown stage production.

And while it only lasts just under an hour, this modern classic was brought to life with such clarity that we didn't really notice how long it took.

A cast of three manage to warm up the audience admirably right from the start so that we are soon joining in from our seats.

And even though the first tantalising sight of the tiger sent some kids whimpering into their parents' arms, we grow to love him and are even a little sad when he exits – after devouring all the food and drink from little Sophie's house. (All the water from the taps, too, if you didn't know already!)

He's seven feet tall, with black and bright orange stripes and while he's a little fierce, he's also a little cheeky and if there are any doubters in the packed house, he soon wins them over!

With lots of singing, joining in and even a little magic, it's no wonder this show is back on the road after a successful tour last year.

Directed by children's entertainment supremo David Wood, it's a show that helps you step right into the familiar pages of Judith Kerr's famous book, which now stands as a children's classic. This show certainly does it justice.