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Above the Stag presents
DICK WHITTINGTON – ANOTHER DICK IN CITY HALL
Photo by Alan Day
Writers: Jon Bradfield & Martin Hooper
Director: Peter Kosta
Stage Manager: Ben Blaber
Above The Stag Theatre
1 – 22 December 2009
A review by Jafar Iqbal for EXTRA! EXTRA! Lock up the children, Panto’s back in town! Yep, that’s right. Christmas season hits us and out come the X-list celebrities, clad in fancy costumes and specially whitened teeth. But December isn’t just an opportunity for flashy West End theatres to make a lot of money very quickly, oh no. December is a time for smaller fringe theatres to also make a lot of money very quickly (because, really, who are we kidding?!). Panto season truly is one of the most exciting periods in the British theatre calendar, when brave writers aim to make a comedy masterpiece. Two such writers are Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper, who penned the show that now plays at the Above The Sky Theatre: Dick Whittington. So, let’s set the scene now, shall we? Above The Stag, a gay pub in South West London, puts on a production entitled Dick Whittington. The thing writes itself! The Dick Whittington story itself is a big part of London history – a young wide-eyed man who comes to London to make his fortune, ultimately becoming the mayor. And that’s what this version is about. Well, sort of. In this version, Dick has recently come out of the closet, and has brought his horny little self to London from Gloucester, with Boris the cat in tow. Unfortunately, for him, he immediately gets on the bad side of Alderman Rat, the evil Mayoral candidate; what ensues is a wild and hilarious two-hour production. Of course, the Panto traditions are all there – crowd interaction, innuendos and, of course, men in drag. Let’s cut to the chase – this show is funny. Yes, seventy-five percent of the script involves some sort of sexual joke, but what did you really expect? This show was perfectly catered for the audience it was being performed to, and an audience of gay men didn’t seem to mind jokes about men loving Dick. But even though the humour could be classified as being part of the toilet kind, it was still intelligently written. The script flowed beautifully and was genuinely hilarious. Much of that success has to go to the cast, who are absolutely tremendous. Each actor is fantastic with their comedy – the timing and the chemistry was top-notch. And, as is required in all pantomimes, their interaction with the audience and ability to improvise was a joy to see. Special mention has to go to Ross Mitchell, who shines as the subtly-named Holly Oaks. Mitchell is the epitome of a perfect Panto character, dressed in drag and stealing the scene every time he’s in it. The set isn’t extravagant, but deliberately so for the purposes of humour. Similarly, the lighting and sound are also deliberately cheap and basic, adding to the aura of the production. This is exactly what a pantomime should be, and Above the Stag should be commended for it. Put the kids to sleep early, buy a pint or five, and watch this show.
Tickets: £12 (£9 first week) Tuesday – Saturday 7.30pm Sunday 6.30pm Above The Stag Theatre, 15 Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DD Box Office: 020 8932 4747
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