The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto Archives

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto 2024: Rapunzel – Everyman Theatre

22Nov

By Hannah WildeNo Comments

North West

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto 2024: Rapunzel – Everyman Theatre

Especially at this time of year, you can’t beat a panto. The beauty of this kind of theatre is that you always know what you’re going to get: tongue-in-cheek jokes, slapstick humour, outlandish costumes… and of course, the token “man in drag”. There is an element of the formulaic about pantomimes - something familiar, something comforting, something inherently festive. However, this particular show was different. Yes, it still had all the hallmarks one comes to expect from a panto - but in this case, it had something unique. Over the years, we’ve all seen hundreds of pantomimic retellings of classic stories like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, with only small deviations from the main story we all know and love. But Rock ’n’ Roll Rapunzel was a version of the fairytale as we ...

Sleeping Beauty: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto – Theatr Clwyd

A theatre renovation was never going to stop Theatr Clwyd from putting on yet another smash-hit pantomime. Instead, the team have created their very own “Big Top”, where the usual madness ensues. The outdoor Big Top features a giant thrust stage, adorned with webs of light and tiered seating all around. No matter which side of the auditorium you sit in, the boundless energy of the cast makes sure that you are fully immersed in the pandemonium of this year's panto. This version of “Sleeping Beauty” is not the tale you may have in mind. Christian Patterson's script has a brilliant balance of classic pantomime charm and modern flair. There's still the typical spinning wheel curse, but this Princess values friendship and freedom over romance. Part of the reason that this twist works, ...

Robin Hood: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto – Leeds City Varieties

After a long year of often serious shows, and the world in chaos, it’s just nice to sit back in a historic theatre to watch a show as comfortable as a pair of old slippers. The Rock ‘n’ Roll brand is pretty much bombproof from criticism combining a perfunctory attempt at a classic story - which is just an excuse for classic panto madness - while a gang of actor-musicians swap instruments knocking out hits for the young and old. Only in panto could you get covers of The Clash and Taylor Swift songs, that all have tenuous links to the ‘narrative’, and no-one bats an eyelid. This year poor old Robin Hood got the Peter Rowe treatment as this master of the most British of theatrical traditions weaves in sight gags, puppets, pratfalls, fart gags, corpsing, all the classic call and response...