dieastra | (Not really a full) Panto-report "Dick Whittington" with John Barrowman, Manchester (Reply)

bloodsong13t asked for a panto report. I decided not to do a full one this time, as the show was very similar to previous ones, albeit still fun and always different due to mishaps and improvisation. But I won't write up all the Krankies jokes again, if you want to get an idea about those, go for 2013 (Jack and the Beanstalk), 2014 (Dick McWhittington) and 2015 (Cinderella).

When there are links in the text then they are to videos John has filmed himself. Filming is actually forbidden but if the stars does it himself, what can you do? LOL Enjoy!

For those who don't know about British Pantomime. The show "Dick Whittington" is about Dick who loves Alice and works for her father in a sweets shop. There is also a fairy who speaks in rhymes and then King Rat, the bad guy. Whenever he arrives on stage, the audience boos him. One night he takes Alice's birthday gift, a necklace, from the safe and puts it into Dick's bundle so everyone thinks he stole it. They send him away. We all were awwing him. Sometimes John has to laugh while saying "This is so sad" in a giggeling voice.

On Wednesday the whole scene with the key and the safe and the necklace went horribly wrong with some important lines missing, which culminated in John saying "We're doing it again" and then topping it with "See, I still have the necklace safe in my bundle". I lost it at that but I guess viewers who saw it only this once might have been confused!

There are lots of double meaning jokes so that both children and parents have something to laugh about. There is also a scene where John flirts with a woman in first row. One night he ended up with a lady from Japan who did not speak English but was there only for him, travelling all by herself. That’s courage! John even greeted her with a Japanese line. He once did the same in French with a French woman in Glasgow. Wonderful

Later they end up in Morocco and visit Sultan Vinegar. Little Janette Krankie dresses up as Madonna and sings "I'm a miniature girl". She is 70 and still shakes her bum, very cute ;) The rest of the show she is dressed as a little school boy, the Krankies are a very old and famous act.

On the ship John is wearing a very tight sailor's uniform, singing "In the Navy" and "YMCA" which we all had to act out. He is thrown around by a dancer, one time ending up upside down so his package is right in the dancer's face.

In one show he even treated us to a cartwheel to a loud cheer from the audience. In the beginning he flies in with a jetpack, singing "Shut up and dance", later he sings "Wrapped up" (You got the lock, I got the key).

At the end he got two of the little girls dressed up as cupcakes to the front, who showed us how high they could throw their leg and do the splits. John then tried it himself, the split did not look as good on him, but he still gets up his leg very high at the age of 50.

The last song before the break he sings while flying over the audience's head in a reindeer sleigh , where they also turn him upside down. Later he sings "Dreamers" with the fairy, beautiful.

There is also a scene where they wear Scottish kilts. It originated in Glasgow but was an audience favorite one so now they do it everywhere. He sprays the audience with a water gun in that one.

In the end, after defeating King Rat, Dick is supposed to marry the person he is in love with. After letting his eyes wander a bit about the Sultan's half naked form, he still chooses Alice. We are waiting for the day when he chooses the Sultan ;)

Special mention to the young lad who was selling the colorful spinning children toys while wearing a pink tiara and looking most fabulous, daahling!

So, a lot of fun was had by all! It cannot be described, only experienced.

And of course, the annual stage door selfie: